%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fnews.google.com%252Fnews%252Furl%253Fsa%253Dt%2526fd%253DR%2526ct2%253Dus%2526usg%253DAFQjCNFu69IEmdprmiqU03SMsJi1cOVFyg%2526clid%253Dc3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331%2526ei%253DUau0V9C-GovHzAatoKz4DQ%2526url%253Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.lakenewsonline.com%252Fnews%252F20160816%252Feldon-aims-for-top-50%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
r0B0t: Eldon aims for the Top 50 - Lakenewsonline.com  

Lakenewsonline.com

Eldon aims for the Top 50 Lakenewsonline.com All Eldon Middle School 8th grade students will take two of the following courses; Design & Modeling, Automation & Robotics, and Introduction to Computer Science 1. Project Lead The Way provides a comprehensive approach to STEM Education. Through ...

 
robots  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.slate.com%252Fblogs%252Ffuture_tense%252F2016%252F08%252F17%252Fford_s_driverless_cars_citizen_science_and_human_animal_hybrids_in_the_future.html%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
r0B0t: Future Tense Newsletter: Emerging Conversations  

Greetings, Future Tensers,

“Gradually, Ford is starting to look like a tech company.” That's the conclusion Will Oremus came to in his report about the car company's plans to start rolling out fully autonomous vehicles by 2021. That's all the more reason to start public dialogue about how such driverless systems will behave in crisis conditions like those suggested by this fun game from MIT researchers that asks you to decide who a robot car should kill.

Charming as that game is, it's probably not going to change the course of self-driving car development. But Jason Lloyd writes that the public should be more engaged with discussions surrounding cutting-edge research. Lloyd writes that “citizen science” has gotten a lot of press for allowing people to contribute data to research, but it can be so much more. Andrew Maynard helps show why that's so necessary with this article on the National Institutes of Health's request for public comment on policy changes around human-animal hybrids.

There are, of course, other conversations that we should be having about technology, most of all those that we have with our elders. As Jamie Winterton argues, our senior citizens tend to fall prey to cyberattacks because they don't have information about how to protect themselves. We can help allay that dilemma, Winterton suggests, by actually chatting with them about cybersecurity, thereby helping keep them from getting hacked like the NSA. Of course, nothing can protect them from the greatest menace of our digital world: squirrels.

Here are some of the other stories that we read while trying to guess who wrote Donald Trump's tweets:

• Gaming: Laura Hudson writes that Kentucky Route Zero tells a haunting, surreal story about both the “broken promises of America” and “the small moments of beauty that manage to bloom” in the ruins.
• Social graces: June Thomas investigates a company that automates the work of sending personalized cards out for you. Goodbye to guilt!
• Virtual reality: Some experts think that we're going about VR all wrong: We should be using it to facilitate experiences that we couldn't have by other means.
• Emoji: Kyle MacLachlan retold the plot of Dune in emojis for a fan, and it's surprisingly brilliant.

Pulling information out of the ether,

Jacob Brogan

for Future Tense

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University.

 
robots  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.theguardian.com%252Fsport%252F2016%252Faug%252F17%252Ftrain-like-olympian-eat-peanut-butter-listen-robots%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
r0B0t: How to train like an Olympian eat loads of peanut butter and listen to robots  

Want to be the next Simone Biles or Adam Peaty? You might manage it if you follow the unconventional tactics employed by Rio's star athletes

• Skrillex, Springsteen and Southend emo now that's what I call an Olympic playlist
  

Most athletes who want to improve their performance do not consult retired geography teachers turned missionaries. But it worked for David Rudisha, and for the other Kenyan athletes who have won 39 medals at the last four Olympics under the tutelage of Colm O'Connell. O'Connell, now 67, came to Kenya from Ireland in 1976. He has no personal background in athletics or formal training as a coach; he started working with athletes as a means of pursuing his vocation as a missionary.

Continue reading...  
robots  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fnews.google.com%252Fnews%252Furl%253Fsa%253Dt%2526fd%253DR%2526ct2%253Dus%2526usg%253DAFQjCNFPeP1QjU-xs_hoeXwCRaf3-fGwtg%2526clid%253Dc3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331%2526ei%253DUau0V_DdGoaWzAaJ4IGQCw%2526url%253Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fenglish.aawsat.com%252F2016%252F08%252Farticle55356516%252Fartificial-intelligence-swarms-silicon-valley-wings-wheels%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
r0B0t: Artificial Intelligence Swarms Silicon Valley on Wings and Wheels - Asharq Al-awsat English  

Asharq Al-awsat English

Artificial Intelligence Swarms Silicon Valley on Wings and Wheels Asharq Al-awsat English The new era in Silicon Valley centers on artificial intelligence and robots, a transformation that many believe will have a payoff on the scale of the personal computing industry or the commercial internet, two previous generations that spread ...

 
robots  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fsarah-illingworth%2Fdirector-martha-jeffries-_b_11554806.html%3Futm_hp_ref%3Dgreen%26ir%3DGreen&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Director Martha Jeffries On Years Of Living Dangerously  


Director Martha Jeffries recently wrapped on two stories for the second season of Years of Living Dangerously, an Emmy Award-winning show about climate change. The show goes blockbuster, seeking to finally capture mass attention regarding an issue that stands to affect every living thing. That worked pretty well first season 'round. As Martha notes in this interview for Impolitikal, climate change can no longer be sidestepped as a scary unknown we hope will go away. Extensive research shows that the world's climate is changing, largely due to human activity - and if people, policy and business continue as usual, the economic and social impacts will be felt by all.

How did you come to work on Years of Living Dangerously, and what's your role?
I'm directing and producing two stories for the upcoming second season of Years. I spent a decade making travel television and shot in many testing and sometimes volatile locations, and was starting to see the impacts of climate change in different places around the world. I met a producer from season one who kindly recommended me to the executives and I jumped at the chance to tell these stories.



What can you tell us about the episodes you've worked on?
My two stories are at opposite end of the spectrum - among the darkest and most hopeful this series has to offer. The first is on the oceans. We look at ocean warming and ocean acidification and the impact these human-caused phenomena are having on coral reefs. During filming, the worst coral-bleaching event in human history occurred. Over 90% of the Great Barrier Reef suffered, some of which will never recover. Many reefs will be reduced to a slime-clogged deadzone. We are losing one of the seven natural wonders of the world - something that took thousands of years to grow. One in four fish rely on coral reefs to breed and survive and nearly half a billion people rely on fish as their main source of protein. Think what the implications of that are for health, political stability and global migration. Terrifying.

My second story is on carbon pricing, which might be our best climate change solution. In a nutshell, carbon pricing is a user charge. If you generate carbon, you pay for it. A price on carbon will drive a move away from fossil fuels by making them more expensive. Which would then allow for an easier transition to renewable energy forms and spur the innovation we need to tackle this problem. Many countries around the world already have some form of carbon pricing in place. My story focuses on a burgeoning student movement in the US, calling for a carbon price here. It has been incredibly inspiring seeing millennials from all ends of the political spectrum stand up and demand change.


Shooting at the Great Barrier Reef

Did anything happen while filming that left a strong impression on you?
In the early days of production we joked we should have an inhouse therapist to help deal with the shock and distress many of us were facing as we discovered the realities of climate change. This isn't something that will happen in the future, this is happening now. It's an uncomfortable reality, but our planet has changed and our quality of life will change too. We can't push this one down the road any longer. It's happening now and it's happening fast. It's not too late, but we absolutely cannot keep dragging our feet.

I met with several families in the Philippines whose sole source of food and income is the ocean. These people live a very low-consumption lifestyle and are deeply tied to the water. But the reefs are dying and fish are disappearing. The people who are contributing the least to climate change are those who will suffer the most. It is a great injustice.

What was your stance on climate change before working on the show?
I've always been concerned about climate change, and I thought well-informed. But I'll admit, the speed with which things are changing was a huge surprise. We're right on the precipice.

What have you learnt personally through working on it? Has it changed you?
Where to begin! We did all of our own research, so the first few months of the job were spent studying climate science and the social, political and economic implications of each story. The terrific thing about a high profile project like this is the incredible access to people. I've spoken to some of world's most prominent scientists, politicians, journalists and economists over the past year. It's been a real privilege.

I also learnt to dive for my ocean story since I wanted to film a good portion underwater. I've always loved the ocean and have been a casual surfer for a few years but never dived. It gave me a much greater understanding of the ocean, which in turn gave me a greater sense of responsibility to tell this story well. The ocean gives us so much - oxygen, food and a temperature with which we can live. I think many of us take the oceans for granted. But they are fragile, and without them there would be no life on the planet.


On location in the Philippines

In terms of personal change, I think this series has brought out the latent activist in me. I now realize the responsibility to make change lies within all of us. Sometimes it's as easy as picking up the phone or visiting your local politician and making it clear that action on climate change is a priority.

What are some of the barriers to effective action to address climate change?
Good old-fashioned political gridlock. It is astounding that it's an unofficial Republican Party line to deny climate change. I spoke to many Republicans who know climate change is real and are deeply concerned, but they're afraid of alienating their voter base. We don't have time for infighting. As the world's wealthiest nation the United States has a responsibility to the rest the world to lead on this, but it's falling behind.

What are some areas of progress?
The world has come a long way in the past 18 months. The climate march on New York, which attracted hundreds of thousands; COP21 in Paris; and the Pope releasing an encyclical calling for urgent climate action created a much greater awareness of climate change and the need to address this fast. There are great leaps being made in renewable energy and non-polluting technologies. And now almost every leader on earth agrees we need urgent climate action.

Roaring Fork Films is the production house behind the series. Can you explain a bit about their motivations for making the show?
Roaring Fork Films was founded by David Gelber and Joel Bach. David and Joel were a producer team on 60 Minutes for many years, and after working on a couple of climate change stories they realized this was the story of our lifetime - but that there was a huge gap in communication. No one was telling the stories of the everyday people being impacted. They have done an amazing job bringing together an incredible cast and crew to make a high quality, ambitious, sensitive and exciting show that demands attention.

There are a lot of big names involved with the project, on-screen and off. Why do you think so many celebrities have been willing to contribute their name and their time to help highlight this issue?
We've had a terrific group of people involved. There is power in fame. People will often listen to a celebrity far quicker than a scientist. A huge problem in the climate crisis has been communication. Scientists have been telling us for years that we have been pushing the capacities of this planet too hard, but people have refused to listen. Trained communicators and spokespeople have a responsibility to get onboard and use their voice to reach the numbers of people required to demand change. Many of our correspondents were not climate experts but did want to know what they could do to help. Learning on-screen was the best gift they could give.

Season two of Years of Living Dangerously will premiere on the National Geographic Channel this October in 170 countries. Find Martha.

Read via Impolitikal.com.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

 
gaia  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiegel.de%2Finternational%2Fworld%2Fsylvia-earle-talks-about-the-depletion-of-ocean-life-a-1107252.html%23ref%3Drss&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
'Paradise Lost': How To Help Our Oceans Before It's Too Late  
In the past 50 years, Earth's oceans have been depleted and acidified to alarming degrees. Sylvia Earle, a longtime marine scientist, explains her plan to save at least a small part of them -- along with our planet.  
general  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiegel.de%2Finternational%2Fworld%2Fchina-takes-part-in-rimpac-military-exercises-with-rival-us-a-1106629.html%23ref%3Drss&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Pacific War Games: Why China is Taking Part in US Military Exercises  
The United States invited countries from around the Pacific to the world's biggest international maritime exercise, including its greatest rival, China. Its participation says a lot about the country's ambitions -- and its limits.  
general  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fgo.theregister.com%2Ffeed%2Fwww.theregister.co.uk%2F2016%2F08%2F17%2Fancient_radioactive_tree_rings%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Ancient radioactive tree rings could rip up the history books  

An archaeologist and astrophysicist propose a new way of historic dating

An archaeologist and an astrophysicist have discovered a new method of timekeeping that could reset key historic dates by inspecting ancient radioactive tree rings.…

 
science  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fpetra-perkins%2Fthe-vikings-magnificent_b_11536004.html%3Futm_hp_ref%3Dscience%26ir%3DScience&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
The Vikings' Magnificent Flying Machine  
Imagine having a job where you're tasked to accomplish the impossible. And you only get two chances.

For example, your assignment (should you choose it) is to build a martian spacecraft -- one that can land safely, scoop soil from the planet's surface, load it into an onboard chemistry lab to test for the existence of life. Oh, and it has to transmit data back to Earth, along with photos of the Red Planet. Put yourself back in the late '60s when technology and robotics were relatively primitive. No internet, smartphone, laptop, iPad. Data came in kB, not MB or GB. And, please, land it on July 4th, 1976, would you, because that's America's Bicentennial celebration, and how red-white-and-blue "far-out" awesome would that be!

Well, it happened - to a team of engineers, scientists and early computer specialists. No one considered it Mission Impossible, but the odds were certainly stacked against them. No detailed design, test, deployment or operational specifications existed; there were many unknown factors about the atmosphere and surface of Mars; there were worries about money to keep the program afloat. And yet they overcame all the barriers, they did everything they were tasked and more, except the July 4th part (a few days late so as not to set the robot down on a risky spot). And then, they did it again, landing a second machine a few weeks later, for backup.

Who were these incredible guys?

20th century Vikings, the best technical team that ever was. They were so good, killer precise, dead-on dedicated, they should have each gotten a Presidential Medal, or at least a vacation in Norway, home of the original Vikings.

Like the medieval Vikings, these were curious explorers and capable conquerors, but mostly they were inventors. They invented the Viking spaceship to sail and land in unknown realms. They were "imagineers" - designers of gadgets, experiments, solutions. They numbered about a thousand who gave their all to the NASA/Martin Marietta project over a decade, including scientist Carl Sagan, a public voice and unveiler of Viking.



One engineer was Bob Rodamer, a Cape Canaveral (then Cape Kennedy) launch operator who pushed the button to launch the Titan/Centaur rocket that sent Viking Mars-bound. He said "At T-minus 35 seconds when I initiated the launch sequence, it got tense and exciting. It was the last manual function that made all previous efforts, by so many, a reality." Imagine the sweaty finality of pressing that button!

A hundred gathered at the 40th Viking anniversary 2016 Reunion. The 'greybeards' looked a little different than they did four decades ago. No long hair, leisure suits, bell bottoms, sideburns or cigarettes. They were plenty happy to meet up - like a fraternity homecoming - and it was mostly men. Only a few women were technologists back then.

Tears were shed as the Viking era story was revived. (Although this roomful of rocket scientists had some trouble getting the slideshow going... ha, ha.) Viking had been the pinnacle of many people's careers; their academic training, their requisite rare knowledge, their shared achievement, all distilled into one enterprise. For many, the realization only came years later, when they contemplated the profound work ethic, the daunting sacrifices - people working around the clock, family time cut short, marriages collapsing. But personal pride and lifelong friendships developed, too. If ever a technical team needed to pull together, it was the Vikings. It took everyone's heart, sweat, tears, determination, and brains to produce those stunning long-lasting results.

A special highlight was, of course, the memory of their collective thrill when the first photos came back from Mars soon after touchdown - they had succeeded! It was real! There was the footpad of the machine, actually planted on the rocky surface millions of miles away. Then when the color photos arrived, they saw no little green men running around, just a bright red hue. Maybe redder than they thought possible.



The wife of Terry Surline, a Viking aerospace engineer fresh out of college, recalled asking him: "How the heck do you know how to do this?" (See, they had been in high school trigonometry together and she'd helped him out, so she was skeptical...) Terry said: "I don't know. We just do it! We do one step, then we figure out what the next step should be."

How many steps are required to get to Mars anyway? Gazillions! And every step has to be solid, correct, and work perfectly or subsequent millions of steps could be going down a blind alley.

The practical, straight-arrow engineers didn't much like the "pot-smoking soft weirds" at first. Any green men they might discover on Mars couldn't have been more alien. Engineers wore standard white shirts and ties, short haircuts and pocket protectors. Some had steel-toed shoes. They wondered, what were those casual, irreverent data muckers doing, constantly writing mysterious code? Code that had to interface with their electronics and hardware. Then there were scientists, a third brand. The visionaries! "Anything can be done!" declared the wild-eyed scientists.

The distinguishing force - the "super glue"- that held the Viking Lander Spacecraft team together was an over-arching sense of curiosity. A spirit of inquiry infused every discussion. "What's the toughest part to do?" "What d'you suppose we'll find?" "How will we know when we've succeeded?" "What if...?" "What if...?" "What if....?"

Ultimately there was mutual respect, and the confidence, that a hand-picked team could master any technical challenge the old Fourth Planet from the Sun could throw at them. "Can we make something that can do this? Damn right we can!"

Larry Perkins, who worked on the system test computer said, "No one asked, 'Is it worth it?' We all knew it would definitely be the hardest but most worthwhile thing we had ever done, and the results would definitely prove to be worth the risk, the cost and the commitment."

What's happened since? College students who worked on Viking - via an intern program - went on to be stars on future Mars programs. One lucky 14-year-old, Jim Duncan, who witnessed the landing from the Jet Propulsion Lab, was inspired to study engineering and ended up working the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter program.

Cathy Rowe, a data specialist on the inorganic chemistry team, and one of the last to process the robot's final transmissions, was especially excited about the amazing Curiosity (large rover) landing in 2012. "I felt that all of us on Viking were pioneers and helped to make the Curiosity mission possible." Her husband, Jim Rowe, was instrumental in creating management strategies for the huge data streams. This led to the safekeeping of vital information that is still being used in current Mars programs.

The Viking findings were inconclusive about life on Mars. Sadly, the cameras revealed no little green men (or women). But Dr. Penny Boston, Director for NASA Astrobiology Institute, a 40th reunion speaker, reported that, since Viking, so much more knowledge has developed about what microbial life actually is. "What we knew about life wasn't enough then. Since the 1990s there's been an explosion of work done to show what organisms would have to be like to survive on Mars."

The Vikings of yore, when they landed on our East Coast, didn't stay long. The environment was too harsh and inhospitable. Maybe, for them, it was landing on Mars! But those explorers, too, took home lots of data about a strange, distant land, which later came in handy. What if... they hadn't come?

For more information: www.thevikingpreservationproject.org

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

 
science  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fastrid-puentes-riaao%2Funderstanding-the-link-be_b_11569720.html%3Futm_hp_ref%3Dgreen%26ir%3DGreen&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Understanding the Link Between Business and Human Rights in Mexico  
Has a corporation ever made you feel vulnerable? Have your rights been ignored? Does it seem that businesses have no oversight? Then this may be of interest to you.

In 2011, the United Nations Human Rights Council issued Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The principles reiterate that nations must control business activities, that corporations must respect human rights, and that victims must have access to justice.

The Council also created the Working Group on Business and Human Rights to put these principles into action.

The Working Group will visit Mexico from August 29 to September 7. This visit will be its second to Latin America, after a mission to Brazil in December 2015.

The Mexico visit is important for three reasons:

• Mexico is the 15th largest economy in the world.
• 
  
• Mexico doesn't often invite international human rights institutions on official missions that generate recommendations the government must address seriously.
• 
  
• The nation is experiencing a human rights crisis, evidenced by its position atop the lists of forced disappearances and attacks on journalists and human rights defenders (particularly environmentalists).

Expectations of the visit are high. The Working Group has received information about the human rights situation in Mexico and about business-influenced violations of those rights. The Group has yet to announce the places it will visit or an exact agenda, a complicated task considering the vast geography of the country and the variety of issues to address.

During its visit to Brazil, the Working Group met with authorities, State and private businesses, civil society, and affected groups. It visited strategic locations such as Altamira, the city closest to the Belo Monte Dam, and Minas Gerais, where a mining-waste dam broke last November.

The result was a report containing 32 recommendations for Brazil's government and corporations. The Working Group expressed its worry about undue corporate influence in the creation of national policies. It explained why politics and lobbying may compromise the State's ability to monitor business. It noted that most businesses don't evaluate the implications of their activities for human rights. It emphasized weaknesses in regulating, licensing, and monitoring large projects. And it highlighted the lack of consultation on mitigation and compensation measures with affected communities.

Ten of the recommendations made to Brazil could also be applied to Mexico.

The government should:

1. Train officials, decision makers, and judges about the obligations of business and government to prevent and remedy human rights violations.
   
2. Define clear policy expectations so that all businesses (both national and foreign) respect human rights and operate with due diligence.
   
3. Comply with the Guiding Principles as well as with international standards and best practices, especially in infrastructure and development projects.
   
4. Evaluate effective access to remediation, strengthen judicial and non-judicial mechanisms, and address business-related abuses.
   
5. Strengthen the regulation of large-scale projects, and increase resources, capacity, and coordination between authorities--particularly those related to the environment and human rights--to improve monitoring of socio-environmental impacts.
   
6. Ensure that when environmental disasters occur, mitigation and remediation measures are implemented, and adequate compensation is provided to the affected people (duly consulted).
   
7. Guarantee that people potentially affected by development projects (especially the most vulnerable) receive information and adequate legal advice to be on equal footing in negotiations with corporations.
   
8. Provide more resources for national programs to protect environmental defenders and emphasize improvement of social, economic, and political conditions.

Public and private business should:

1. Respect human rights and act with due diligence to identify, prevent, and mitigate human rights violations.
   
2. Ensure effective consultation with affected people and communities. This involves assessing impacts on human rights, paying special attention to vulnerable or potentially marginalized groups, and guaranteeing adequate and timely information about activities that could affect them. It includes distinguishing the risks to women, children, and men, especially with regards to infrastructure projects that displace communities.

The UN Working Group aims for its visit to be an important event for human rights in Mexico.

We hope its conclusions reflect what the country really needs. We hope that both business and government welcome the visit, take the recommendations seriously, and demonstrate the political will to act on them.

We shall see come September. A positive response is in all of our best interest.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

 
gaia  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Ftony-long%2Fillegal-fishing-treaty-no_b_11568358.html%3Futm_hp_ref%3Dgreen%26ir%3DGreen&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Illegal Fishing Treaty, Now in Force, Boosts Global Effort to Cut Crime  
The Port State Measures Agreement adds a vital new tool in a global strategy to deter lawbreaking fishermen

For some of the world's most audacious thieves, life just got trickier. For decades they have roamed the ocean, fishing without licenses, without regard for the marine environment, and, in most cases, without much fear of being caught. With about 140 million square miles of surface water and no central authority, the ocean has proved to be an easy place for these illegal fishermen to get away with a crime.

And their haul has been huge. Experts estimate that illegal fishing accounts for up to 26 million metric tons of seafood annually, worth up to $23.5 billion. This theft undercuts law-abiding fishermen, threatens the health of our oceans and fish populations, and destabilizes coastal communities that rely on consistent fish stocks for food and jobs.

But on June 5, a global treaty to end illegal fishing, called the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA), entered into force; the pact is now international law in 35 governments and overseas territories, including the European Union. The agreement was designed to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing by making it significantly harder to move illegally caught fish to market.

The PSMA, the first legally binding international measure targeting illegal fishing, requires captains to give notice when approaching a port--whether to unload their catch or for such services as refueling--and provide details on their licensing and fishing activities. Based on that information, and coupled with a vessel's history, port officials decide whether to allow the vessel to offload, inspect it, or turn it away.

The treaty also requires that port officials inform neighboring countries of known or suspected illegal catches--a key provision to help apprehend criminals who shop around for a port willing to accept their fish.

But the PSMA is only one component of an effective global strategy to end illegal fishing. Authorities and fishery managers need numerous mechanisms and consistent enforcement around the world. Here is a summary of how we could fully cinch the net on illegal fishing.

Expand PSMA membership: Coastal countries that have not signed on to the PSMA should do so quickly; those that have should move swiftly to implement and enforce the treaty. As long as illegal operators can find a port where they can unload and sell their catch, they will continue to profit from their crimes.

Mandate permanent, unique identifying numbers: To fish in most parts of the world, vessels need only a name, the flag of a country, and a radio call sign. None of those identifiers is permanent, and all can easily and quickly be changed, at little cost. That has made it difficult for governments to prosecute illegal fishermen and has allowed many repeat offenders to return known illegal vessels to the water under new identities.

Flag states and coastal states should require that all large fishing vessels have permanent, unique identifiers--specifically, one administered by the International Maritime Organization. An IMO number is essentially a serial number, like a vessel fingerprint that is assigned to a boat until it is scrapped, and can reveal a ship's real identity--including its owner and where it is licensed to fish.

Coordinate transnational efforts: Until recently, governments faced logistical and legal nightmares in pursuing illegal fishing operators into a neighboring country's waters. Even when officials wanted to reach out for help, they often didn't know whom to call.

To help address that, Interpol in 2013 launched Project Scale, an initiative designed to improve cooperation among the agency's 190 member countries to stop fisheries crimes.

Since the project's launch, Interpol has issued 17 Purple Notices, or alerts, on vessels engaged in illegal fishing and related crimes. Coordinated efforts by the agency and its member countries helped set the stage for the sinking of the notorious illegal fishing vessel Thunder on April 6, 2015, in the waters off West Africa. All Interpol member countries with a stake in marine fishing should be encouraged to coordinate and communicate through Project Scale.

Leverage technology to monitor the ocean: Traditionally, finding and chasing illegal fishermen on the water was expensive, dangerous, and often futile. Conducting the same operations via satellite is efficient, safe, and effective. Project Eyes on the Seas, a collaboration between The Pew Charitable Trusts and the British firm Satellite Applications Catapult, uses satellites to pinpoint a ship's location and heading, and overlays the data with other information, including a vessel's history of compliance with the law. That can help fisheries analysts determine--in near real time--whether a vessel is likely to be engaged in questionable activity.

Among governments that have used this system are the United Kingdom, Palau, and countries in the Polynesian Leaders Group, including Niue, the Cook Islands, Tonga, and Samoa. More governments should consider Eyes on the Seas as a tool to reduce illegal fishing in their waters.

Other initiatives are shining a spotlight on criminal fishing operations, including the European Commission's system of first warning countries that support lawbreaking, and then banning their seafood imports. Also, countries are using regional partnerships in southeastern Africa, Central America, and the Pacific islands to share resources and information to detect illegal fishermen and keep them out of their collective waters.

Together, these mechanisms can expose unlawful operators and close off their opportunities for selling stolen fish. That could make life so difficult for the offenders that they hang up their nets and hooks, once and for all.

Tony Long leads The Pew Charitable Trusts' work to end illegal fishing worldwide.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

 
gaia  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fdavid-helvarg%2Fan-ocean-policy-for-the-n_b_11485696.html%3Futm_hp_ref%3Dgreen%26ir%3DGreen&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
An Ocean Policy For The Next President (Whoever She May Be)  
As I've reported in Sierra magazine, thirty-three years ago, President Ronald Reagan established the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), stretching 200 miles out from our shores. At 3.4 million square miles, it's more extensive than our continental landmass. But unlike our lands, our public seas belong to all of us, and right now they are in trouble. The ocean is at risk from a cascading series of environmental disasters including industrial overfishing, pollution, loss of coastal and offshore habitats, and climate change. Faced with these threats, it's hard to fathom why this crisis in our seas has received no attention in the 2016 presidential campaigns. Hillary Clinton has pledged not to drill for oil in the Arctic Ocean or off the Atlantic coast but has no position on the Gulf of Mexico, where 17 percent of domestic oil production takes place. By calling the science of climate change a hoax, Donald Trump has made it clear that he'd be unlikely to address climate-linked ocean threats such as sea level rise, ocean acidification, and harmful algae blooms intensified by warming ocean waters--such as we're now seeing on the coasts of Florida.

Yet there are commonsense steps the next president could and should take to help restore the blue in our red, white, and blue.

The next president should expand on the modest National Ocean Policy initiated by President Barack Obama in the wake of the BP blowout disaster. Ideally the new policy would eliminate federal agency conflicts and redundancy in ocean management. It would combine the best available science with public input to identify how to better utilize limited ocean spaces. Some examples might include relocating shipping lanes to reduce ship strikes on migrating whales, choosing offshore wind farm and aquaculture sites so they don't impact local fishing grounds, and protecting unique marine habitats and wildlife while also maintaining naval warfare training zones and fiber-optic cable laying. Former U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen describes this as "putting urban planning in the water column."

The next administration should also continue to promote best fisheries and aquaculture management practices to sustain living resources and the jobs that go with them. Since its conservation-oriented reforms in 2006, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Act has seen two-thirds of U.S. overfished stocks rebuilt or improved. As they recover, there is increased political and commercial pressure to go back to over-exploiting the resource. When the act comes up for reauthorization this year, it should be strengthened--not undermined--so that the United States can remain a leader in reducing global fishing pressure.

The United States also needs to continue to lead in the fight against illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) pirate fishing, which accounts for up to a third of fish caught and also often involves the use of slave labor. Last year, the largest citizen lobby for ocean conservation in U.S. history successfully lobbied for passage of a bipartisan IUU Fishing Enforcement Act, which, among other things, will allow better remote tracking and seizure of pirate vessels when they pull into ports. A similar citizen lobby will take place this spring as part of a biennial Blue Vision Summit.

America needs to create more fully protected marine reserves. This will build on the early work of Presidents Clinton and Bush, who protected the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument off Hawaii (an area larger than all national parks combined), and Presidents Bush and Obama, who established and expanded the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. The next administration should also follow Secretary of State John Kerry's lead in supporting the global effort now underway to create additional large-scale marine reserves, including on the high seas and in the polar seas. These types of marine-protected areas can act as global reserves of the biodiversity that provide us food, storm protection, recreation, and tourism.

We can begin to fight the threat of ocean acidification with better monitoring to identify and manage hot spots, by reducing land-based pollution that can exacerbate the problem, and by finding ways to enhance marine organisms' abilities to adapt. But really the only significant solution is to commit to a rapid end to the emission of greenhouse gases. Ocean acidification is one of the greatest threats almost no one knows about. It's the result of seawater absorbing surplus carbon dioxide, which is changing the Ph balance of the ocean and threatening every shell-forming creature--from certain planktons to coral polyps to crabs to oysters. It is already affecting commercial oyster farm operations and coral reefs. A warmer, more acidic ocean also holds less dissolved oxygen that threatens to expand over 500 dead zones around the world.

With an estimated six feet or more of sea level rise expected this century, we also need to protect at-risk coastal populations through better shoreline management. Instead of building next to the water, we need to make a major investment in the restoration of natural barriers such as salt marshes and beach dunes. And we need to encourage planned retreat by not using federal subsidies to rebuild in harm's way on barrier beaches and in flood zones after major disasters.
Given all these impacts and more, the need for a rapid transition off fossil fuels is obvious. We should start by eliminating the dirtiest, most dangerous production systems. Along with stopping coal and tar sand mining, we should commit to ending all offshore oil drilling in the next eight years.

And of course there are other challenges. Where new technologies like deep-sea mining threaten to disrupt unique benthic ecosystems, we should adapt the precautionary principle and make policy based on doing the least harm, which may include refusing to license this technology.

Because plastic pollution of the ocean kills wildlife and concentrates toxins through the food web, the EPA needs to seriously consider identifying a range of plastics as toxic substances to be banned or tightly controlled so we can start to transition off of single-use plastic.

Noise pollution is another emerging issue. NOAA has just launched a plan to require noise reduction from shipping, the offshore oil industry, and other sources. We can learn a lot from the U.S. Navy's submarine force, known as "the silent service," when it comes to adopting noise control technology.

Ideally the United States ought to consider a unified Department of the Ocean similar to the Department of the Interior, which was created to manage our last great wilderness frontier. Right now ocean governance is spread across 22 federal agencies. The new Department of the Ocean could be made up of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for science and policy and the U.S. Coast Guard for operations and law enforcement.

Short of that, we need to provide these two frontline agencies with much more robust funding and legally mandated opportunities for the conservation, exploration, and protection of our ocean. When it comes to ocean challenges, we know what the solutions are. What we need is to mobilize the political will to enact them before it's too late.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

 
gaia  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newscientist.com%2Farticle%2F2101518-giant-ancient-supervolcanoes-threw-rock-right-across-australia%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Giant ancient supervolcanoes threw rock right across Australia  
Massive eruptions when New Zealand ripped away from Australia were tens to hundreds of times stronger than anything ever recorded in human history  
gaia  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fskye-cooley%2Fthe-flood-of-2016-southeast-louisiana-the-consequences_b_11570046.html%3Futm_hp_ref%3Dgreen%26ir%3DGreen&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
The Flood Of 2016: Southeast Louisiana And The Consequences Of Real Community  

My younger brother, who as I write this is on his way to Baton Rouge to help flood victims, and I spent the better part of this last week doing two things: monitoring Louisiana State University flood maps and exchanging irritated text messages at how little national media attention was being given to the devastation occurring in our home state. Between August 12 and 14, four trillion gallons of rain fell, 11 river gauges in southeast Louisiana set all time record highs, 20,000 people had to be rescued, 10,000 people have been put in shelters, and a number of souls lost their lives. In my hometown of Denham Springs, roughly 90 percent of the people living there have flood damage to their homes. The flood is historic, tragic, and hard to conceptualize. Quiet little suburban towns that few people outside of Baton Rouge have ever even heard of became lakes of rainwater and debris almost in an instant. Conversations went from what clothes children would wear on the first day of school, to what the basic items of survival were for a family with small children. 

Through it all, media coverage was so lacking that people living outside of the immediate area resorted to social media sites to updates themselves on what was happening in the area; using uploaded videos, pictures, and posts to piece together events and timelines, the pathways of the moving water, and how long the crisis would last. As cellular service failed, power went out across town after town, and families scrambled to find shelter, secure rescue, and just survive…news media coverage was virtually silent. A number of very good articles have been written about why, mostly speaking on the fact that the flood did not fit the narrative of entertainment the news media requires in order to garner coverage. The few articles that complain on the lack of national media coverage all have the same goal in mind… to get more media coverage on the event so that the scope of the tragedy can be known and help given to those people in need.

To accomplish this, they focus on the scope of the tragedy itself; as I resorted to earlier in this piece. In order to achieve the goal of coverage, those of us who care about the heartbreak in southeast Louisiana are forced to package it in those narrative frames of entertainment and historic loss in order to get anyone to care… and that to me is the larger tragedy. The tragedy is that strong, loving, cohesive communities, because of their strength and resilience, cannot be celebrated and assisted at the same time. That in order to be worthy of attention the very fabric of societal order has to have been sheered away; news media requires scenes that look like a zombie apocalypse, not scores of hometown heroes trying their best to rescue one another.

In these communities, families who lost everything feel guilty for letting someone give them money for a warm meal, because others have lost more. Neighbors organize care packages for people in the “devastated areas,” while floodwaters seep into their homes. Friends let friends of friends, and complete strangers off the street, sleep in their beds and on their couches because they have a place that is dry and some room to spare. People wait anxiously for the water to subside so that they can go and help their friends rebuild. Former high school classmates put up online lists of people to locate one another, connect with one another, and share supplies. The local fisherman run rescue missions through streets that have become rivers to rescue families stranded on rooftops and trapped on highways; forming a “Cajun Navy” of volunteers. And former residents travel from cities like Chicago and D.C., taking vacation days from work, to make sure longtime friends have someone there to help them remove the water-soaked sheetrock from their house.

No stories of looting, no stories of riots, no devolving of society to the lowest forms of humanity…instead a tragedy that has brought out the best in friends, family, and neighbors; people who help others before they help themselves…who see the assistance of others as an assistance of self.

Rather than reward that with aid and bringing the full force of our collective national attention to examples of what resilient and strong American communities look like when challenged…these communities are ignored and left to fend for themselves…simply because they can. The consequence of being a strong community is that your tragedy is not mentioned in national news, your strength uncelebrated, and your needs unmet unless they can be met through your own resilience. Humility and selflessly helping others does not fit the script of our news media… that is more of a tragedy than any flood.

For those looking for ways to help, please see the following:

“How To Help Victims Of Louisiana Floods”

HealingPlace Church

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

 
gaia  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fmatthew-spiegl%2Froot-canal-seaworld-gets-drilled-in-new-killer-whale_b_11569358.html%3Futm_hp_ref%3Dgreen%26ir%3DGreen&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Root Canal: SeaWorld Gets Drilled In New Killer Whale Teeth Report  

SeaWorld's CEO Joel Manby has been all smiles since he and Wayne Pacelle, CEO of The Humane Society of the United States announced that their organizations had reached an agreement to end the captive breeding of killer whales at SeaWorld's parks in California, Texas and Florida along with the six killer whales under SeaWorld's care at Loro Parque in Spain. But when it comes to the killer whales themselves, they're not smiling because there is something missing - their teeth.

Dentition as a Welfare Indicator

Do you  remember going to the dentist as a child for a checkup? Do you remember how happy you were if you didn't have any cavities? Do you remember the sound of the dentist's drill when you did?

A new report from the Free Morgan Foundation (FMF) examines the condition of killer whale teeth as a measure of their welfare in captivity. The report, Ongoing concerns regarding the SeaWorld orca held at Loro Parque, Tenerife, Spain provides extensive photographic documentation that chronicles the dentition of the six killer whales in SeaWorld's care at Loro Parque. Based on the report, it appears that cavities are the least of their problems.

The authors of the report, Dr. Ingrid Visser and Rosina Lisker, visited Loro Parque in April of this year where they observed and photographed the killer whales over a period of three days. During their visit, Visser & Lisker received personal assurances by Dr. Javier Almunia of the Loro Parque Fundación and two Loro Parque veterinarians, that there were no health problems with the killer whales.

When specifically asked about the wild-born female Morgan, the authors were told she had no broken teeth:

“All three employees denied that Morgan had any broken teeth. Subsequent to the authors' visit, on 28 April 2016, Loro Parque posted on their official website blog the following text; “Dr. Visser asked about Morgan's broken teeth, and the veterinarian staff confirmed that Morgan does not have broken teeth just abrasion in [sic] some of them.” [emphasis added].” (Visser & Lisker at p. 16.) 

The photographic evidence collected by Visser & Lisker, however, adds to the growing stack of documentation regarding welfare issues facing the killer whales held in that facility.

Morgan is of particular concern to Visser & Lisker because during her time in captivity beginning at Dolfinarium Harderwijk in 23 June 2010 and then at Loro Parque since 29 November 2011, she has suffered significant, progressive dental distress that would not have occurred had she been returned back to the ocean following her rehabilitation:

According to the authors, in 3 years, 10 months, 10 days, Morgan went from 0% severe damage of her right mandibular teeth to 75%. The report goes on to calculate that between 41.66% and 75% of the mandibular (lower jaw) teeth were moderately or severely damaged among the six killer whales observed at Loro Parque.

Drilling and Flushing Superior Dental Care?

Drilling and daily flushing of killer whale teeth is portrayed as ‘superior dental care' by Seaworld. But is it really? I asked former SeaWorld trainer John Jett Ph.D. to describe the daily dental care of killer whales from a trainer's perspective:

“We used a variable-speed drill, with a stainless drill bit that was disinfected with betadine prior to the drilling procedure. It was a Dremel brand drill like you can buy at a hardware store. The holes were flushed using a Waterpik filled with betadine. We would receive cases of 1,000mL bags of betadine from the animal care department, which we would cut with scissors and pour into the Waterpik basin in preparation for tooth flushes.” (John Jett Ph.D. July 2016) 

Another former SeaWorld trainer, Jeffrey Ventre MD, gives further detail about pulpotomies, tooth flushing and the health impacts of dentition of killer whales in captivity in this video:

Five Freedoms

The welfare issues at Loro Parque extend far beyond the killer whales teeth. Visser & Lisker also asses the welfare of the killer whales through an analysis and discussion of the physical conditions at Loro Parque with respect to the ‘Five Freedoms' of animal welfare:

• 
  
• FREEDOM FROM HUNGER AND THIRST.
• 
  
• FREEDOM FROM DISCOMFORT.
• 
  
• FREEDOM FROM PAIN, INJURY OR DISEASE.
• 
  
• FREEDOM TO EXPRESS NORMAL BEHAVIOR.
• 
  
• FREEDOM FROM FEAR AND DISTRESS.
• 
  

These standards are internationally recognized as providing the absolute minimal requirement for an animal's physical and mental well-being.

In the report, Visser & Lisker document violations of four of the ‘five freedoms' of the killer whale's welfare at Loro Parque. Their report also meticulously documents 23 violations of animal welfare standards affecting the killer whales at Loro Parque using the C-Well® welfare standards. (Visser & Lisker at p. 33.)

SeaWorld and the Humane Society

Wayne Pacelle is the CEO of HSUS, a position he has held since 2004.
Six years after he began working in that position, in November 2010, his organization wrote a letter to the US Government highlighting the animal welfare violations at Loro Parque. HSUS requested that the US Government act according to the letter of comity provision (the legal principle that nations will mutually recognize and respect each other's laws) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). They requested to have the SeaWorld killer whales seized and repatriated back to the United States:

“Therefore, it is imperative that NMFS and APHIS undertake an immediate investigation and make an official finding as to Loro Parque's non-compliance so that NMFS can take action to seize the orcas or work with SeaWorld to arrange for their repatriation to the United States.” (HSUS letter 11 November 2010.) 

The revelations in the Visser & Lisker (2016) report are stark and startling and reaffirm the validity of the HSUS welfare concerns raised in November 2010 about SeaWorld's killer whales at Loro Parque.

This new report by the FMF has also been submitted to representatives of the US National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Office of Protected Resources
as a not so subtle reminder that it cannot wash its hands of responsibility for monitoring the conditions of the killer whales at Loro Parque through feigned ignorance and denial of readily verifiable facts and observable conditions.

The fact that SeaWorld keeps six of its claimed twenty-nine killer whales at an off-shore facility is a detail that is often overlooked, yet these individuals represent approximately 20 percent of SeaWorld's entire killer whale collection.

Although Loro Parque is not owned by SeaWorld, the killer whales held there are ultimately under the care and responsibility of SeaWorld. Furthermore, as a consequence of the original transfer of four SeaWorld killer whales to Loro Parque in 2006, there is also a responsibility of the US Government pursuant to the MMPA to pay attention to the welfare conditions of the killer whales held at Loro Parque today. (See the FMF white paper on whale laundering.)

On 17 March 2016, SeaWorld and HSUS made an announcement - in partnership - that shook the very foundation of the marine theme park industry, setting in motion the beginning of a gradual phasing out of the commercial display of killer whales in captivity. But is that enough?

The HSUS policy position regarding SeaWorld's killer whales at Loro Parque as expressed to the US Government in 2010 was powerful, principled and represented the humane mandate for the welfare of the killer whales, and of all animals, that the HSUS represents. It is a position that SeaWorld needs to fully embrace.

“SeaWorld has a moral and legal obligation to these animals and must act to secure their welfare. “ (HSUS letter 11 November 2010.) 

Whether the HSUS partnership with SeaWorld will result in a softening of HSUS's stance on the deplorable welfare conditions that continue to plague the killer whales at Loro Parque is uncertain. No doubt, it is an important question that will have to be answered by HSUS - preferably with actions rather than words.

To that end, the FMF sent an “open letter” to Mr. Manby and Mr. Pacelle asking them to meet with the FMF regarding the situation at Loro Parque and to discuss a long term commitment to work together to return Morgan to the ocean in a controlled, natural environment. To date, neither Mr. Manby or Mr. Pacelle have responded to the FMF invitation to talk.

Morgan as Her Own Best Advocate

Ever since being taken from the wild in 2010, Morgan has commanded the public's interest in an international spotlight. Over the course of the last several months, Morgan's plight has increased public awareness and outrage over the welfare issues facing her and other killer whales in captivity.

Two recent viral videos show Morgan ramming her head into a heavy metal segregation gate while being confined in a small medical tank and also show her “hauling-out” onto the main performance stage for an extended period after a performance. This was apparently in an attempt to escape the aggression of SeaWorld's other killer whales who are also held with Morgan at Loro Parque.

The stories of these two events spread across social media and received mainstream coverage, including National Geographic, Time, People, The Dodo, HuffPost UK, and in this exclusive television interview with former SeaWorld trainer Dr Jeffrey Ventre on Sky News with Kay Burley.

For their part, SeaWorld and Loro Parque have gone to great efforts to try to spin the story about Morgan, claiming that she is healthy and doing well in captivity and that the recent videos show normal behavior. However, in fact, they are quite alarming and such a response underscores the paradox of perception by those who want to continue to profit from the captivity of these sentient beings and those who wish to put an end to it.

The Visser & Lisker report draws attention to the clear and obvious issues of Morgan's teeth and explains why the damage is due to confinement in a concrete tank. This report and Morgan's plight continues to gain international attention with new in-depth articles about Morgan appearing in the Dutch news magazine Vrij Nederland and German newspaper Donaukurier in August.

Pain Relief? 

The images of the killer whales teeth in the report speak for themselves.
They are graphic, indisputable and universally recognizable as “painful” to any person who has had a cavity, chipped, broken or lost a tooth, or had a tooth drilled by a dentist.

These latest revelations about SeaWorld's killer whales has the potential to take yet another bite out of the bottom line of the struggling marine theme park industry as it continues to struggle with a public relations campaign, trying desperately to distance itself from the Blackfish effect.

On 4 August 2016, SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: SEAS) reported its financial results for the first half and second quarter of 2016. The results were not encouraging for investors. One analyst even suggested that SeaWorld should reinvest in the business, pinning its hopes on the addition of new roller coasters - not killer whales.

The world is rapidly changing and national and international laws and regulations and the government entities that are entrusted to enforce them, need to catch up to society's expectations and demands. What happens next is anyone's guess. But one thing is for sure, the Visser & Lisker report gives both government regulators and marine theme park executives something to chew on.

(Author's note - Matthew Spiegl serves on the Board of the Free Morgan Foundation.)

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

 
gaia  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftheatlantic%2Finfocus%2F%7E3%2F3f4adyDVXBw%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
California Wildfires Drive Tens of Thousands From Their Homes (21 photos)  

After five years of drought conditions, wildfires across California remain a common occurrence. At the moment, the Clayton Fire in Lake County and the Bluecut Fire in the San Bernardino National Forest are causing tens of thousands of residents to evacuate. The Bluecut Fire alone has consumed more than 30,000 acres, and has forced the evacuation of more than 82,000 people. In Lake County, a man was arrested and charged with arson for starting the wildfire that has destroyed more than 175 buildings so far. Below are images from the past few days of the destruction, and those who are battling the blazes, rescuing people and animals, and those caught up int he chaos.

 
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.seattletimes.com%2Fnation-world%2Fphotos-of-the-day-aug-17-2016%2F%3Futm_source%3DRSS%26utm_medium%3DReferral%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_photos-of-the-day&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Photos of the Day: Aug. 17, 2016  

Explore the news of the day with these images from around the world.  
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fmyplanetexperience%2F28943034972%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Amur leopard  

My Planet Experience posted a photo:

With as few as 45 adults remaining in the wild, the Amur leopard is probably the rarest and most critically endangered big cat in the world. Habitat destruction, degradation and poaching of Amur leopards and their prey are persistent threats. Hunted largely for its beautiful, spotted fur, the loss of each Amur leopard puts the species at greater risk of extinction.
The Amur leopard is classified as Critically Endangered since 1996 by IUCN. Data published by the World Wildlife Fund indicates that there are roughly 50 adult Amur leopards in the wild today.
The Amur leopard is a leopard subspecies native to the Primorye region of southeastern Russia and the Jilin Province of northeast China. They live for 10-15 years, and in captivity up to 20 years. The Amur leopard is also known as the Far East leopard, the Manchurian leopard or the Korean leopard.

© www.myplanetexperience.com

 
gaia  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fhilary-cooke%2Fthe-next-great-victory-for_b_11548886.html%3Futm_hp_ref%3Dgreen%26ir%3DGreen&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
The Next Great Victory For Birds  
One hundred years ago, Canada and the United States signed the historic Migratory Bird Treaty to protect birds from indiscriminate slaughter for food and fashion markets. Millions of birds were killed each year and few species were spared, including unlikely ones such as robins, bobolinks, and meadowlarks, as well as egrets, herons, shorebirds, ducks, and grouse. Bird populations dwindled, spurring one of the earliest conservation crises and a historic agreement between two countries.


Millions of birds like the Great blue heron were slaughtered annually for fashion markets. By 1910, populations had crashed and plumes were worth more than their weight in gold. Photo credit: ©Jukka Jantunen.

The Migratory Bird Treaty, signed on August 16th 1916, was implemented through Canadian and American federal legislation making it illegal to kill, import, export, sell, or purchase migratory birds, their nests, and eggs. Over the next century, it ushered in several critical reforms: abolition of hunting for food and fashion markets; bag and season limits on hunting game birds; new protections from pollution; and habitat protection through establishment of wildlife refuges, migratory bird sanctuaries, and stewardship initiatives.

Ratification of the Migratory Bird Treaty and subsequent conservation successes of the 20th century resulted from cooperation among hunters, naturalists, writers, scientists, industries, environmental organizations, governments, private citizens, and elected representatives.


The plumes, or aigrettes, of egrets and herons were especially prized for women's hats. Photo credit: ©W.M. Morrison.

William T. Hornaday was one of the most ferocious and relentless advocates for the protection of wild birds and the Migratory Bird Treaty. As founding director of the Bronx Zoo, operated by the newly-formed New York Zoological Society (the precursor to my current organization, the Wildlife Conservation Society, or WCS), Hornaday was uncompromising in his position. He published dramatic accounts of the extinction of several species such as Great Auk, and the presumed plight of other birds like the Great Egret if the commercial market for wild birds persisted.

When efforts were flagging, Hornaday rallied support, pushing for the expansion of proposed protected species to include most migratory birds. And when the Treaty process had apparently stalled, Hornaday tracked down a missing Canadian document to a British embassy cabinet where it had been sitting, misfiled. The treaty was signed soon after and Hornaday called it 'the greatest victory ever achieved for the birds of this continent'.

Today, WCS continues to play an important role - discovering new ways to protect myriad avian species and their habitats, leveraging partnerships with others, and inspiring people to share in our mission.


Hornaday's vivid testimonials on the fate of North American birds were part of his relentless campaign for bird protection and the Migratory Bird Treaty. From The Wild Life Call, March 1911, Number 1. Edited by William T. Hornaday, Director New York Zoological Park, ©WCS.


The Migratory Bird Treaty was crafted to protect wild birds from intentional killing for commercial markets and to recover dwindling populations. What was not anticipated when the Treaty was written was the rise of new and different forms of human activity that would result in the unintentional harm or killing of birds in the late 20th and early 21st century.

More than one-third of the 1,154 native bird species of North America are in need of urgent conservation action. Each year, billions of birds are killed and nests are lost as a direct result of human activity, including collisions with vehicles, buildings, and power lines; predation by domestic and feral cats; and, as a result of agriculture, forestry, and fishing by-catch.

A regulatory framework governing incidental death of birds under Migratory Bird legislation, combined with enforcement of existing Migratory Bird Regulations, is critical and decades overdue. But birds face other threats: habitat loss and fragmentation, pesticides, and climate change, among others. Effective recovery of all birds requires commitments to collaborate across borders and across agencies. The geography of our shared birds transcend the government systems developed to protect and manage our environment.


Lapland Longspurs migrate in the thousands along roads on their way to Arctic breeding grounds. Unfortunately, this makes them especially vulnerable to mortality from vehicle collisions. These six were among many that collided with a large truck on the Klondike Highway of the Yukon. Photo credit: Hilary Cooke/WCS Canada.

The successful cross-border partnerships initiated 100 years ago should inspire us to work even harder to identify shared values and goals while leveraging collective knowledge and capacity. Such efforts will secure a future for all North American bird species while inspiring other international collaborations on migratory birds.

Our ultimate goals should be to ensure that no bird is added to Hornaday's list of extinct species. I do not wish to end my career with regret knowing that, despite our knowledge, capacity, and tools to secure the future of North America's birds, we failed to rise to the challenge. So let us seize the opportunity of this 100th anniversary of the Migratory Bird Treaty to catalyze a new era of collaborative conservation.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

 
gaia  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newscientist.com%2Farticle%2F2101507-marsupial-lions-primate-like-forearms-made-it-a-unique-predator%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Marsupial lion's primate-like forearms made it a unique predator  
The primate-like forearms of the marsupial lion could have allowed deft use of its formidable claws and made it unlike any predator seen today  
gaia  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fbrian-hughes%2F5-environmentally-safe-actions_b_11561878.html%3Futm_hp_ref%3Dgreen%26ir%3DGreen&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
5 Environmentally Safe Actions That Will Increase Your Home's Value  

Image source: PhotoDune

Sustainable building is all the rage these days, and for good reason. Climate change and the undoing of the earth's delicate ecosystem is no longer a point of conjecture. According to the EPA, "The global average temperature increased by more than 1.4°F over the last century." And "the decade from 2000 to 2010 was the warmest on record." Global warming is a real thing. And the sooner we as a society adapt to this reality, the sooner we'll adjust the way we live to be kinder to planet earth.

I've written in the past about "Ethical consumerism." That is the idea that we can buy our way to a better version of ourselves. I would also like to suggest that ethical consumerism extends to the home you live in. In other words: the idea that green homes do less harm to the earth has marketable value. If you reside in a more progressive neighborhood, this value is even more enhanced.

Recently, the Institute for Market Transformation released a study showing a positive correlation between home energy efficiency and curb appeal. On average, high-performance homes are valued at a premium of 3.46 percent more than non-high performance homes. Some were even valued as high as 6% to 7.7% more. That equated to between $10,343 to $53,000 that buyers were willing to pay for a high-performance home over a standard performance home.

What does this mean for you, the enterprising homeowner who wants to reduce their footprint? It means that renovations designed to improve the efficiency of your home can also boost its resale value. Here're some actions to get started.

1. Get an energy audit: When you are just starting out, getting an energy audit can be a great way to identify your home's specific energy deficiencies. Plenty of private companies offer this service. The Residential Energy Services Network is a database of qualified local professionals. A comprehensive audit can be conducted within the course of an afternoon. The auditor will do a full overview of your home; checking for leaks, examining insulation, inspecting ductwork and more. After a thorough walkthrough, the auditor can make recommendations based on your home's specific needs.

If you're up for it, you can go the DIY route. Keep in mind, conducting a proper energy audit is as much science as it is an art. The best auditors have years of construction experience and have reviewed all manner of houses. An energy audit also involves crawling up into your attic and down into your basement or crawlspace. But if you love DIY home projects, then, by all means, give it a go.

2. Spend an afternoon at the hardware store: Before you tackle any of the high budget considerations for upgrading your home (see below), start with the low cost & high yield repairs and upgrades that you can do yourself. Sealing up holes in your insulation and caulking windows is a good starting point. Energy.gov has a comprehensive guide to the process of caulking. This article on energy efficiency basics provides more suggestions on sealing, insulating, and smart home integrations.

3. Install energy efficient windows: When you have windows that are not energy efficient (think "old" or "thin") your house is losing energy. Through a process called "heat transfer," hot air is always trying to equalize with cold air. That means that heat is going out in the winter and coming in during the summer, even if you don't want it to.

The most permanent and energy efficient solution to this problem is to install energy efficient windows. The Department of Energy estimates that replacing your windows with ENERGY STAR® rated windows can reduce heat loss by 10%-20%. That means it will take a lot less energy to heat and cool your home. Say hello to lower energy bills.

4. Power your home with renewable energy: Believe it or not, there are some effective alternatives if you want to power your home without polluting the environment. Depending on the state you live in, wind power, geothermal, and solar may be great options.

The easiest way to switch is to work with your utility or an independent supplier to simply choose a 100% renewable plan. Wind energy is the most common form of renewable energy offered by providers.

Choosing to place solar panels on your roof requires a greater upfront investment, but that investment pays for itself over time. The amount you save overall will depend on where you live and how much sun your panels absorb. Project sunroof offers a calculator you can use to estimate savings based on your location.

5. Upgrade your appliances: In the eloquent words of ENERGY STAR Consumer Messaging Guide for 2015 "every appliance comes with two price tags: the purchase price and the cost of operating the product." Old or inefficient appliances are a significant drain on energy usage. Upgrading them all at once can constitute a major one-time cost but can benefit you over time. Many experts rank updated appliances as the number-one home improvement project for the kitchen.

6. Read up on green home rating accreditations and get your home rated: The term "Greenwashing" refers to people (usually those interested in inflating the price of a house for sale) who falsely represent the efficiency of a home. There are rating systems that will "grade" your home for efficiency so you can legitimize your efforts to prepare for a future sale. HERS, LEED, Energy Star, and Built Green are some of the more well-known certifying bodies. Each one of them has their defining criteria of what makes a home sustainable. Some homes have more than one certification. Once you've taken steps to move your home to a more sustainable footprint, research them to find out which one is right for you.

There's even a search engine to find certified homes for sale called Viva Green Homes. That will be useful if you'd like to do a bit of competitive analysis to determine what ratings are typical in your area.

Bottom line:

Follow these steps to transform your home into a more sustainable place. The world will thank you - so will your pocketbook.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

 
gaia  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newscientist.com%2Farticle%2Fmg23130870-200-life-evolves-so-easily-that-it-started-not-once-but-many-times%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Life may have emerged not once, but many times on Earth  
Far from being a miracle that happened just once in 4 billion years, life's beginnings could have been so commonplace that it began many times over  
gaia  

%feed  
http://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/lake-powell-from-the-space-stations-earthkam  
Lake Powell From the Space Station's EarthKAM  
The remotely controlled Sally Ride EarthKAM aboard the International Space Station acquired this photograph on July 14, 2016, as the orbiting laboratory flew over Lake Powell and the border of Utah and Arizona. Located on the Colorado River, Lake Powell is the second largest artificial reservoir in the United States.  
astronomy  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fmotherboard.vice.com%2Fen_uk%2Fread%2Fvr-ar-eeg-consumers-stores&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
How Companies Will Use VR and Read Your Brainwaves to Sell You More Stuff  

I'm passing through the front foyer of a major Chinese bank. I careen through well-lit hallways and teller booths, before sliding by some signage written in Cantonese. It's as if I'm there, minus the tellers, customers, and sounds of a bustling financial institution.

But the thing is, I'm not actually in China, or in a bank, although it almost feels as though I am. I'm using the Microsoft HoloLens to see a visual representation of this branch's layout, as designed by Toronto branding and design agency Shikatani Lacroix. Augmented reality gives me a bird's eye view of the scene. I then put on a Samsung Gear headset, and take a VR tour of the same space.

What I'm experiencing is part of the design firm's offering to its clients: An application that creates realistic retail environments using 3D technology, visualized through augmented reality and virtual reality. Experts say they can then analyze a consumer's brainwaves to judge how they're responding to the virtual environment, via electroencephalogram, or EEG. The EEG capability comes from a new partnership with True Impact, a neuromarketing research firm.

VR bank kiosks. Image: Shikatani Lacroix

This marriage of technologies is still in its newlywed phase, and it's difficult to assess its value this early. But it's easy to understand the appeal. Instead of a design firm building dollhouse prototypes to show focus groups, it can tour consumers through the environment in AR or VR, and report back to a client on what excited or bored them, using intimate details to make the case: These consumers will be outfitted with sensors across their bodies, including EEG.

“What we found with VR is that people aren't always honest about how they feel about what they're seeing,” said Daniel Terenzio, head of immersive solutions at Shikatani Lacroix. “But we eliminate that with neuroscience.”

The Chinese bank is this technology's first client (Terenzio declined to name the bank). Their tests found that in areas with lots of information and detail, for example where large signs were displayed, “cognitive responses go up,” noted Terenzio in our interview, “but in areas with larger more empty spaces that cognitive effort level goes down and it's more soothing and restful.”

A test subject is fitted with an EEG and Microsoft HoloLens headgear to view the AR retail environment. Image: Mark Willard

Shikatani Lacroix is not the first to harness neuroscience to give brands detailed data on what their consumers supposedly want. More companies are embracing it.

Earlier this year, Carl Marci, chief neuroscientist and executive vice president of Nielsen Consumer Neuroscience, spoke at the Digiday Retail Summit about how tools such as eye tracking, EEG and biometrics can help brands identify visual hot spots (areas in a store or on a product that attract the most attention) and blind spots and determine levels of emotional impact. For instance, wearing an eye-tracking glasses unit and EEG sensors, you can walk through a fake store and a firm can determine which area of the shelf your eyes turned to most and what made your heart rate fluctuate during your shopping trip.

AR and VR are also finding a home in retail. In 2013, IKEA introduced an app to let customers “place” a product in their home by placing the outline of that table, for example, in a living room space.

The web interface. Image: Shikatani Lacroix

And earlier this year, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba allowed shoppers to check out their goods on a VR headset to view at clothing and other fashion items in 360 degrees. This move comes several months after Alibaba opened a VR research lab to develop VR and AR technologies to help sellers on Alibaba platforms build their own 3D product inventories.

Terenzio demonstrated to me how they use a tablet outfitted with AR technology to display a digital label on a bottle of Pepsi (one of their clients), wrapping around the product fully. As I turned the bottle around, on the tablet I saw the new label, a moving image as opposed to a static one.

“This is a much better way to show clients how a label will look on their product, rather than just showing them flat pictures,” said Terenzio.

When I first heard about what Shikatani Lacroix was unveiling, I had that initial creepy feeling of “Oh great, another company hoping to read our brains to sell us more stuff.” It made me think of something out of a Cronenberg movie. But from their clients' perspective, it could save a lot of money. Who wouldn't want a virtual tour of a new shopping mall you're about to build, say, instead of seeing its miniature model that you literally can't walk through?

Reading our minds to build better stores and products will be the future or retail, for better or worse. Responsible companies have to ensure consumers give consent to have their bodies scanned to optimize shopping. It would be a dark day if this neuromarketing spun out of control: if we walked into a bank and didn't know our heart rates were being monitored.

 
cogdis  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.engadget.com%252F2016%252F08%252F17%252Fmr-robot-has-its-own-official-mobile-game%252F%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
r0B0t: 'Mr. Robot' has its own official mobile game  
If you're looking for some extra Mr. Robot while the second season plays out, then there's now a mobile game to keep you entertained. Mr. Robot: 1.51exfiltratiOn is available for iOS and Android, and is packaged up like a fictional corporate messenge...  
robots  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.engadget.com%252F2016%252F08%252F17%252Fnasa-robotics-challenge-start%252F%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
r0B0t: NASA's $1 million robotics contest will prep Valkyrie for Mars  
NASA has formally opened registration for its Space Robotics Challenge, and to win a cut of the $1 million prize purse, researchers have to help prep Valkyrie for Mars. Also known as Robonaut 5 (R5), Valkyrie is the six-foot-tall, 290-pound humanoid...  
robots  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fmotherboard.vice.com%2Fen_uk%2Fread%2Farmageddon-comma-explained&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
The Looming Extinction of Humankind, Explained  

For most people, driving with a seat belt tightly strapped around their bodies is a smart habit. Not only is racing down the highway without it illegal—“click it or ticket,” as the slogan goes—but seat belts also “reduce serious crash-related injuries and deaths by about half.” Yet as we've previously estimated, your chances of dying in a car crash are at least 9.5 times lower than dying in a human extinction event.

If this sounds incredible—and admittedly, it does—it's because the human mind is susceptible to cognitive biases that distort our understanding of reality. Consider the fact that you're more likely to be killed by a meteorite than a lightning bolt, and your chances of being struck by lightning are about four times greater than dying in a terrorist attack. In other words, you should be more worried about meteorites than the Islamic State or al-Qaeda (at least for now).

The calculation above is based on an assumption made by the influential “Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change,” a report prepared for the UK government that describes climate change as “the greatest and widest-ranging market failure ever seen.” In making its case that climate change should be a top priority, the Stern Review stipulates a 0.1 percent annual probability of human extinction.

This number might appear minuscule at first glance, but over the course of a century it yields a whopping 9.5 percent probability of our species going extinct. Even more, compared to estimates offered by others, it's actually quite low. For example, a 2008 survey of experts put the probability of human extinction this century at 19 percent. And the co-founder of the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, Sir Martin Rees, argues that civilization has a 50:50 chance of making it through the current century—a mere coin toss!

How could the probability of a global disaster be so much greater than that of dying in a car accident?

How is this possible? How could the probability of a global disaster be so much greater than that of dying in a car accident? To be sure, these estimates could be wrong. While some existential risks, such as asteroid impacts and super-volcanic eruptions, can be estimated using objective historical data, risks associated with future technologies require a good dose of speculation. Nonetheless, we know enough about certain technological trends and natural phenomena to make at least some reasonable claims about what our existential situation will look like in the future.

There are three broad categories of “existential risks,” or scenarios that would either cause our extinction or permanently catapult us back into the Stone Age. The first includes natural risks like asteroid and comet impacts, super-volcanic eruptions, global pandemics, and even supernovae. These form our cosmic risk background and, as just suggested, some of these risks are relatively easy to estimate.

As you may recall from middle school, an assassin from the heavens, possibly a comet, smashed into the Yucatan Peninsula 66 million years ago and killed almost all of the dinosaurs. And about 75,000 years ago, a super-volcano in Indonesia caused the Toba catastrophe, which some scientists believe dramatically reduced the human population, though this claim is controversial. Few people today realize just how close humanity may have come to extinction in the Paleolithic.

Although the “dread factor” of pandemics tends to be lower than wars and terrorist attacks, they have resulted in some of the most significant episodes of mass death in human history. For example, the 1918 Spanish flu killed about 3 percent (though some estimates are double that) of the human population and infected roughly a third of all humans between 1918 and 1920. In absolute numbers, it threw roughly 33 million more people into the grave than all the bayonets, bullets, and bombs of World War I, which lasted from 1914 to 1918. And based on CDC estimates, the fourteenth-century Black Death, caused by the bubonic plague, could have taken approximately the same number of lives as World War II, World War I, the Crusades, the Mongol conquests, the Russian Civil War, and the Thirty Years' War combined. (Take note, anti-vaxxers!)

Influenza patients during the 1918 flu pandemic in Iowa. Image: Office of the Public Health Service Historian

The second category of existential risks concerns advanced technologies, which could cause unprecedented harm through “error or terror.” Historically speaking, humanity created the first anthropogenic risk in 1945 when we detonated an atomic bomb in the New Mexico desert. Since this watershed event, humanity has lived in the flickering shadows of a nuclear holocaust, a fact that led a group of physicists to create the Doomsday Clock, which metaphorically represents our collective nearness to disaster.

While nuclear tensions peaked during the Cold War—President Kennedy even estimated that the likelihood of nuclear war at one point was “between 1 in 3 and even”—the situation improved significantly after the Iron Curtain fell. Unfortunately, US-Russian relations have recently deteriorated, leading Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to suggest that, “we have slid back to a new Cold War.” As we write this, the Doomsday Clock is set to a mere three minutes before midnight—or doom—which is the second closest it's been to midnight since its creation in 1947.

While nuclear weapons constitute the greatest current risk to human survival, they may be among the least of our concerns by the end of this century. Why? Because of the risks associated with emerging fields like biotechnology, synthetic biology, and nanotechnology. The key point to understand here is that these fields are not only becoming exponentially more powerful, but their products are becoming increasingly accessible to groups and individuals as well.

For example, it's increasingly possible for nonexperts to cobble together a makeshift gene-editing laboratory. The affordability of home-built labs is being driven in part by the biohacking movement, which aims to empower interested hobbyists by making inexpensive, automated equipment readily available. DNA material can also be ordered from commercial providers, as journalists for the Guardiandiscovered in 2006 when they managed to acquire “part of [the] smallpox genome through mail order.” Even more, anyone with an internet connection can access databases that contain the genetic sequences of pathogens like Ebola. We're a long way from programming organisms' DNA the way we program software. But if these trends continue (as they likely will), terrorists and lone wolves of the future will almost certainly have the ability to engineer pandemics of global proportions, and perhaps even more devastating than anything our species has previously encountered.

As for nanotechnology, the most well-known risk stems from what's called the grey goo scenario. This involves tiny self-replicating machines, or nanobots, programmed to disassemble whatever matter they come into contact with and reorganize those atoms into exact replicas of themselves. The resulting nanorobotic clones would then convert all the matter around them into even more copies. Because of the exponential rate of replication, the entire biosphere could be transformed into a wriggling swarm of mindlessly reproducing nanobots in a relatively short period of time.

Alternatively, a terrorist could design such nanobots to selectively destroy organisms with a specific genetic signature. An ecoterrorist who wants to remove humanity from the planet without damaging the global ecosystem could potentially create self-replicating nanobots that specifically target Homo sapiens, thereby resulting in our extinction.

Perhaps the greatest long-term threat to humanity's future, though, stems from artificial superintelligence. As one of us recently wrote, instilling values in a superintelligent machine that promote human well-being could be surprisingly difficult. For example, a superintelligence whose goal is to eliminate sadness from the world might simply exterminate Homo sapiens, because people who don't exist can't be sad. Or a superintelligence whose purpose is to help humans solve our energy crisis might inadvertently destroy us by covering the entire planet with solar panels. The point is that there's a crucial difference between “do as I tell you” and “do as I intend you to do,” and figuring out how to program a machine to follow the latter poses a number of daunting challenges.

A wildfire at Florida Panther NWR. Image: Josh O'Connor/USFWS

This leads to the final category of risks, which includes anthropogenic disasters like climate change and biodiversity loss. While neither of these are likely to result in our extinction, they are both potent “conflict multipliers” that will push societies to their limits, and in doing so will increase the probability of advanced technologies being misused and abused.

To put this in stark terms, ask yourself this: is a nuclear war more or less likely in a world of extreme weather, mega-droughts, mass migrations, and social/political instability? Is an eco-terrorist attack involving nanotechnology more or less likely in a world of widespread environmental degradation? Is a terrorist attack involving apocalyptic fanatics more or less likely in a world of wars and natural disasters that appear to be prophesied in ancient texts?

But this isn't the end of the story. There's also ample reason for optimism.

Climate change and biodiversity loss will almost certainly exacerbate current geopolitical tensions and foment entirely new struggles between state and nonstate actors. This is not only worrisome in itself, but with the advent of advanced technologies, it could be existentially disastrous.

It's considerations like these that have lead the experts surveyed above, Rees, and other scholars to their less-than-optimistic claims about the future. The fact is that there are far more ways for our species to perish today than ever before, and the best current estimates suggest that dying from an existential catastrophe is more likely than dying in a car accident. Even more, there are multiple reasons for anticipating that the threat of terrorism will nontrivially increase in the coming decades, due to the destabilizing effects of environmental degradation, the democratization of technology, and the growth of religious extremism worldwide.

But this isn't the end of the story. There's also ample reason for optimism. While the existential risks confronting our species this century are formidable, not a single one is insoluble. Humanity has the capacity to overcome every danger that lines the road before us. For example, advanced technologies could also mitigatethe risks posed by nature. A kamikaze asteroid barreling towards Earth could be deflected by a spacecraft or (perhaps) blown to smithereens by a nuclear bomb. Developments like space colonization and underground bunkers could enable humanity to survive a catastrophic asteroid impact or super-volcanic eruption. As for pandemics, recent incidents like the Ebola and SARS outbreaks have shown that scientists working with the international community can effectively contain the spread of pathogenic microbes that might otherwise have caused a global disaster.

Other risks like climate change and biodiversity loss could be solved by reducing population growth, switching to sustainable energy sources, and preserving natural habitats.

This leaves technological risks, which society could potentially neutralize by implementing policies and regulations intended to keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of criminals, psychopaths, and terrorists. It's unclear, though, how effective such strategies could be, and this is in part why many experts see the biggest future threats as being associated with advanced technologies. Fortunately, organizations like the X-Risks Institute, Future of Life Institute, Future of Humanity Institute, and Centre for the Study of Existential Risks are working hard to ensure that a worst-case scenario for our species never occurs.

The cosmos is a vast obstacle course of life-threatening dangers. And while our extraordinary success as a species has improved the human condition greatly, it's also introduced a host of novel existential risks our species has never before encountered—and thus has no track record of surviving. Nonetheless, there are clear, concrete actions humanity can take to mitigate the threats before us and lower the probability of an existential catastrophe. As many leading experts have confirmed, the future is overflowing with hope, but realizing this hope requires us to take a sober look at the very real dangers all around.

Phil Torres is an author, contributing writer at the Future of Life Institute, and founding Director of the X-Risks Institute. His most recent book is called The End: What Science and Religion Tell Us About the Apocalypse. Follow him on Twitter: @xriskology.

Peter Boghossian is an assistant professor of philosophy at Portland State University. He is the author of A Manual for Creating Atheists and creator of the app Atheos. Follow him on Twitter: @peterboghossian

 
cogdis  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26fd%3DR%26ct2%3Dus%26usg%3DAFQjCNGXazGiKH4mb_NAW36xAZjb3gLGaQ%26clid%3Dc3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331%26cid%3D52779183961256%26ei%3DG3e0V_azKI_IzAbe_ZyYAg%26url%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.chinalawblog.com%2F2016%2F08%2Fchina-the-world-greed-cognitive-dissonance-the-best-and-the-brightest-part-2-how-to-avoid-getting-scammed.html&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
China, The World, Greed, Cognitive Dissonance, The Best and the Brightest, Part 2: How To Avoid Getting Scammed - China Law Blog (blog)  

China Law Blog (blog)

China, The World, Greed, Cognitive Dissonance, The Best and the Brightest, Part 2: How To Avoid Getting Scammed China Law Blog (blog) The day before yesterday, I wrote a long post (with a long title), China, The World, Greed, Cognitive Dissonance, The Best and the Brightest, and Why People Seem to Encourage/Almost Enjoy Getting Scammed, on why people are so susceptible to getting ... and more »

 
cogdis  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fdailyoverview.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F149080525019&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
The urban plan of the L'Eixample district in Valencia, Spain is...  

The urban plan of the L'Eixample district in Valencia, Spain is characterized by long straight streets, a strict grid pattern crossed by wide avenues, and apartments with communal courtyards. A similar layout was used for the district of the same name in Barcelona. The circular structure in the upper right is the Plaza de Toros de Valencia - the city's largest bullfighting arena.

39°27′53″N 0°22′12″W

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2bH4StB

 
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Ftomas-laurinavicius%2Fadaptability-the-true-mar_b_11543680.html%3Futm_hp_ref%3Dscience%26ir%3DScience&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Adaptability: The True Mark Of Genius  

Image credit: Eric Terrade/Unsplash.

Good grades, aced tests, high IQs -- we have lots of ways to approximate someone's intelligence. These indicators are undoubtedly good at getting a general understanding of a person's ability to retain information and solve problems, but are they useful for indicating whether or not someone is a real "genius?"

First off, there is no universally accepted scientific definition of "genius." It is simply a word used to describe someone demonstrating exceptional intellectual ability. Even this is a vague understanding of the concept, as "exceptional" and "ability" are somewhat relative -- ultimately in the eye of the beholder(s).

What then, is the universal signature of genius? Rather than trying to define it through the narrow band of human uniqueness -- the traits making our species special like literacy, artistic expression, and so forth -- it might be better to think of genius as a concept existing independently of humanity. On this new playing field, genius is not determined by taking tests or possessing a high IQ. Instead, genius is calculated by how successfully an organism can adapt to changes in its environment.

Strange changes

Very few businesses can operate long term without changes to various parts of the system. Name an enterprise which was in operation before the year 1990 and it undoubtedly had to make a significant shift toward computer technology and the internet. These demands never stop thanks to an ever-changing market and the increasingly sophisticated nature of technology.

For example, the previously mentioned enterprise may now be struggling to coordinate resource planning among its various departments. For 20 years, it relied on a DIY, seat of its pants method of managing this information. The time has come to shop for top Enterprise Resource Planning or ERP software to reduce waste and inefficiencies. Its leaders now have to choose which of the dozens of possible solutions is right going forward.

Analysis paralysis

This is where the test of genius comes into play. Presented with a multitude of options for overriding a problem or set of challenges, it's very easy to become overwhelmed and unsure of what to choose. The basis for your ultimate decision -- the factors leading to leaning toward one particular solution -- are a product of how well you grasp the demands of change.

Faced with dozens of possible courses of action, it's common to be afflicted with analysis paralysis. This tendency to overthink a major decision often leads to people falling back on their worn-out playbooks for clues on what to do next. Whether we consciously or subconsciously do it, people desire the comfortable, the familiar, the routine. Among numerous choices, the common option stands out and holds appeal. In the face of changes, the "go-to" old ways of doing things are unlikely to prove advantageous.

Those with a gift for adaptability, on the other hand, are going to sever their emotional ties to the past and actively search for information regarding what to do next. Slowly but surely, the options get whittled down to a viable, practical array from which the final choice is selected.

What nature intended

Finding a specific way of doing things and sticking to it is human nature. In fact, it's nature across the board; the diversity of an animal kingdom sharing the majority of their DNA with one another is a result of millions if varying ways to survive. Being afraid or otherwise resistant to changes is instinctual, as we're hardwired to walk a relatively very specific path.

However, nature repeatedly challenged its own construct with mass extinction events, where over 90 percent of life on Earth would be eradicated. Dinosaurs are the most famous example of what happens when a successful species is thrust into a new environment and cannot cope with the changes. An established company incapable of making changes to evade destructive forces is not much different.

Free will vs. free won't

The stubbornness hardwired into us preventing successful adapting to cope with changes is perhaps the true seat of our "intelligence." There is growing evidence to suggest the concept of "free will" is an illusion and we are in fact driven by the desires of a subconscious, inner version of ourselves. This is why we so often do the things we "know" we ought not to do, and procrastinate with the things we "know" need to happen to achieve our clear goals.

A theory put forward by the late Benjamin Libet, a renowned pioneer of human consciousness research, suggests the persona we associate as our "self" is not the one leading the way. Rather, we are an executive of sorts, with limited direct control over how we react to change. Libet's ideas resulted in the concept of "free won't": we have the power to veto the courses of action taken by our subconscious, but are otherwise at the mercy of our nature.

Think of it this way: intelligence is that thing inside of us making all the decisions we mostly go along with; meanwhile, genius is the ability to know when these automatic choices are worth adjusting or switching up entirely.

Overriding the system

With all this in mind, a better understanding of "genius" starts to emerge. Can we take credit for the almost automatic way our brains take to making decisions? Calling someone a genius for test scores and grades is a bit like applauding software for doing what it was designed and programmed to perform. Predictable, routine paths of logic hinged on training and practice, while impressive, do not indicate a person's propensity for triumphing through change.

Rather, genius can be seen as the ability to break free from the predestined, comfortable route when all signs point to the need to change. It's the absorption of observations without precedent or plans. It's drawing conclusions and taking a new course of action to outmaneuver the inevitable drawbacks of staying on the same course. Everyone and everything alive today is a product of past genius and thus carries the potential for genius going forward.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

 
science  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2F144338646%40N03%2F28968086511%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
London Sunset  

Galan_Photo posted a photo:

Bigben and fountain

 
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=https%3A%2F%2F500px.com%2Fphoto%2F168167185%2Funtitled-by-nikita&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Untitled by Nikita  

Untitled by Nikita

Processed with VSCO with a5 preset

Nikita: Photos

 
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fdigg.com%2Fvideo%2Felon-musk-simulation&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Why Elon Musk Thinks There's A One-In-A-Billion Chance Our Reality Is Not A Simulation  
The chances of human kind participating in a simulated reality is broken down into three options: 1) humans go extinct before we are able to run a simulation of this size.  
gaia  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newscientist.com%2Farticle%2F2101402-plan-to-kill-alien-carp-with-herpes-could-suck-life-out-of-river%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Plan to kill alien carp with herpes could suck life out of river  
An Australian scheme to kill carp could result in millions of tonnes of decomposing fish sucking oxygen out of rivers and killing off native fish  
gaia  

%feed  
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/aug/17/moscow-soviet-heritage-risk-redevelop-industrial-zil-car-factory  
Moscow's industrial heritage 'at risk' in rush to redevelop old Soviet sites  

The former ZiL car factory is the latest to undergo a major redevelopment as part of a city-wide project to transform derelict industrial areas but campaigners are concerned their unique architectural heritage is under threat

A warning scrawled on a wall in the dismantled press shop of the former ZiL auto factory still reads: “Don't smoke, fine 100 roubles.”

This wall is all that's left to remind visitors of when the press shop, built in 1935, was part of the 400-hectare Soviet industrial hub a “city within a city” which enjoyed its own cafeterias, barber shop, bus line and fire department. At one point, 100,000 proletarians laboured here to put together trucks that could be found at almost every collective farm, as well as deluxe armoured limousines that carried the Soviet leadership.

You can say there's some preservation, but it's not real local memory

The developer always wins even though it seemed at beginning that culture would win

Related: Moscow then and now interactive with photographs from the Guardian archive

Continue reading...  
design  

%feed  
https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/15-21-august-2016/inside-airbnbs-redesigned-tokyo-office/  
Inside Airbnb's redesigned Tokyo office  

Airbnb has worked with Japanese architect Suppose Office Design on its new Tokyo office, which has been designed around the travel company's “belong anywhere” positioning.

The office, located in Shinjuku, Tokyo has been designed in a way which reinforces the idea of a neighbourhood and features a reception and café area leading onto a wooden path that gives way to building-like meeting rooms with interiors based on real lettings.

Airbnb lead interior designer Rebecca Ruggles, who works on the Environments Team, says that “when you walk in you know where you are even without a logo in the door.”

Suppose Office Design worked with Airbnb's Environments Team to conduct interviews with the company's Tokyo-based employees and help conceive the original concept and floorplan.

It is a redesign of a building the company already occupied, but before there was limited communal space and it consisted largely of a series of corporate communal spaces according to Airbnb.

Nature and serenity referenced

Employees can reconfigure communal work tables, height adjustable desks, project tables, private and semi private phone booths, lounges and cafes.

Ergonomics, socialising and engagement were key priorities and the flexibility helped to underline the “belong anywhere” mantra.

Employees were keen that nature was well referenced so that the space felt peaceful and removed from the chaos of urban life.

Plants have been used throughout and the reception area has been designed to look and feel like an outdoor café, with a double height atrium and natural light. There is also a public park-inspired work area with wooden communal tables and green flooring.

Another part of the building has been turned into the Engawa an elevated platform covered with Tatami mats, inspired by traditional Japanese culture. Employees can remove their shoes and enjoy views over Shinjuku.

Phone booths are made from local white oak and rice paper film to give them the soft glow of a typical Japanese tea house.

Making space look bigger

Employees had expressed a desire to make the spaces feel bigger and brighter but this was problematic with a fixed low ceiling height.

In response a black ceiling with dropped lighting was created, which helps give a sense of space.

Local craftspeople were engaged to create bespoke lighting and furniture, while the architects created what look like floating lanterns, in the café area.

International references

Rooms in the building have an international feel and reference listings from the likes of Prague, Tijuana and Barcelona.

Suppose Design Office architect Makoto Tanijiri says: “Instead of using simple walls, we laid out building-inspired volumes to articulate the space, dividing the various functions while keeping a continuity throughout the whole office.

“These buildings' walls have different wooden cladding, to reflect the eclectic mix of volumes, textures and patterns that is Tokyo, and to mark a threshold between an outside and an inside, a social and a private space.”

The post Inside Airbnb's redesigned Tokyo office appeared first on Design Week.

 
design  

%feed  
https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/15-21-august-2016/neuro-virtual-tailoring-system-change-face-fashion-industry/  
Neuro: the virtual tailoring system that could change the face of the fashion industry  

French designer Clement Balavoine has developed a workflow process to virtually design and tailor clothes, involving a total of three different software programmes.

Neuro would allow fashion designers to digitally alter the fit of the clothing on virtual models, as well as other features such as colour and texture, without having to touch any physical fabric.

The first software programme used during the design process, Daz3D, is designed to create a virtual fitting model based on the body shape and dimensions of real scanned models which can be edited to pose in different positions.

Balavoine then uses Marvelous Designer, which is used to draw and cut patterns in 2D, just as a designer would in real life.

Visualise the design using 3D gravity simulation

“Once all the parts are virtually sewn together, you can instantly visualise the design using a 3D gravity simulation which will display exactly how the garment fits on the model, as well as showing how it falls and the movement of the fabric,” Balavoine says.

Finally, 3dsMax allows the designer to change the texture, weight and colour of the fabric. This programme can also be used to create digital environments such as a studio, where virtual “photoshoots” can take place, creating images to be used in campaigns, lookbooks or videos.

Balavoine, who has been using his production “pipeline” for just over six months, says he was first inspired to adapt software systems like Marvelous Designer to fashion design by concept artists working within the video game and film industries.

“Build the bridge between different creative worlds”

“Talented concept artists like Maciej Kuciara or Ash Thorp…have actually [been] using these softwares for a while now, but for character development,” he says.

“With Neuro, my goal was to build the bridge between the different creative worlds and reflect the process in fashion.”

Balavoine says he hopes Neuro could be used by fashion designers looking to reduce production times and take a more eco-friendly approach to clothing design.

“This process could definitely become a business model in the near future, in which you can design garments without fabric, have a “just-in-time” production, and promote the garments even before producing them via virtual reality catwalk, digital campaign or look book.”

The designer says he is currently in talks with designers about potential collaborations, but is unable to confirm any details at this time.

The post Neuro: the virtual tailoring system that could change the face of the fashion industry appeared first on Design Week.

 
design  

%feed  
https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/15-21-august-2016/dixonbaxi-looked-give-premier-league-brand-new-life-screen/  
How DixonBaxi looked to give Premier League brand new life on screen  

DixonBaxi has worked on a major brand activation project for the Premier League, creating title sequences, in-match graphics and idents that are designed for any broadcasters showing matches.

The work builds on the identity system, which was created by DesignStudio in February.

DixonBaxi's work on the brand also extends to augmented reality features and touch screen graphics.

On-screen graphic system

Its “Field of Play” design language is an on-screen graphic system, which has been designed to make sense of live data, league tables, charts and player profiles in a way that makes them look like they are part of the same family.

Aporva Baxi of DixonBaxi says the consultancy “watched hundreds of hours of football to analyse all the key plays in the game.”

Movement, speed, inertia, impact and agility were all analysed to create a set of motion graphics called Field of Play, designed to be “beautiful, elegant and bold” and inspired by what happens on the pitch.

Studio design with AV capability

A Premier League studio environment has also been developed and includes a table-top touchscreen and real-time and an augmented reality feature so that presenters can interact with player, team and match data.

Show titles are “human, energetic and celebrate fans and players,” according to Baxi. Networks like Sky and BT in the UK and NBC in the US will still use their own show titles and graphic treatments on screen.

“That's why they pay the big sums of money to acquire the rights,” says Baxi. Other broadcasters around the world receive Premier League footage as it is given to them by Premier League.

“These are the networks that don't want to create their own packages,” says Baxi. Premier League Productions produce a series of shows for pre, during and post-game. Some of these are picked up by BT, which may also use some match graphics.  

There are more than 12 shows which Premier League Productions create and 24 hour programming is on offer. DixonBaxi has worked on products including Fanzone where fans from around the world participate Preview, Review, Matchday Live the main show which fronts every game Fantasy League Football, News, Match Pack and more.

Soundtrack for stadiums

A soundtrack has been developed by MassiveMusic as an “official anthem” and has been remixed for different shows as well as “walk on” music played at the beginning of every match at every stadium.

The new look is rolling out now, with the new season underway.

The post How DixonBaxi looked to give Premier League brand new life on screen appeared first on Design Week.

 
design  

%feed  
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/aug/16/thomas-hardy-altarpiece-discovered-in-windsor-church  
Thomas Hardy altarpiece discovered in Windsor church  

Reredos hidden behind panelling in All Saints church discovered by chance and thought to be the work of Tess's author

Thomas Hardy is best known for his grand tragedies, but the chance discovery with an iPhone torch of an altarpiece believed to have been designed by the writer for a Windsor church reads like the start of a crime caper.

The author of Tess of the d'Urbervilles and Far from the Madding Crowd trained as an architect and worked as a draughtsman in the 1860s, working on designs for a number of churches. In the 1970s, a collection of designs was discovered behind the organ of All Saints church in Windsor, many of which featured the work of Hardy. Although three of the drawings were kept in the church, until Stuart Tunstall and his fellow churchgoer Don Church embarked on a search for the building's foundation stone, it was believed that none of the designs had been realised.

Related: Bones found at prison may belong to real-life Tess of the d'Urbervilles

Continue reading...  
design  

%feed  
http://www.designboom.com/art/ldf-london-design-festival-2016-raw-color-blend-08-17-2016/  
LDF london design festival 2016: raw color present playful experiments in blend exhibition  

the exhibition will feature 'chromatology' - an installation based on paper shredders, each connected with a motion sensor and fed by coloured paper rolls.

The post LDF london design festival 2016: raw color present playful experiments in blend exhibition appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

 
art  

%feed  
http://www.designboom.com/art/joshua-dawson-water-privatization-caustico-08-16-2016/  
joshua dawson explores the issue of water privatization through dystopian film cáustico  

the film details post-water privatization in a generic city in 2036, where only the privileged are granted this basic human resource.

The post joshua dawson explores the issue of water privatization through dystopian film cáustico appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

 
art  

%feed  
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheDailyGalaxyNewsFromPlanetEarthBeyond/~3/vaXn8ajwKeM/super-babies-to-a-quantum-portal-on-the-universe-chinas-2016-headlines-foreshadow-future-control-of-.html  
"Super-Babies to a Quantum Portal to the Cosmos" --China's 2016 Headlines Foreshadow Control of the Planet & Beyond  
 
astronomy  

%feed  
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheDailyGalaxyNewsFromPlanetEarthBeyond/~3/f1jSKrZrMus/revolutionary-dark-fifth-force-of-the-universe-revealed-a-separate-invisible-sector-with-its-own-mat.html  
Dark 'Fifth Force' of the Universe -- "A Separate Invisible Sector With Its Own Matter and Forces"  
 
astronomy  

%feed  
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/28922781592/  
Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, from Space  

NASA Goddard Photo and Video posted a photo:

While gymnasts leap, cyclists pedal and divers twirl for Olympic gold in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, several NASA Earth Observing satellites catch glimpses of the city and its surroundings from space.

This image shows how Rio Olympic Park appeared to the Operational Land Imager (OLI), a sensor on Landsat 8, last September as the city prepared for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.

Image credit: Landsat 8/NASA Earth Observatory

NASA image use policy.

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA's mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA's accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency's mission.

Follow us on Twitter

Like us on Facebook

Find us on Instagram

 
astronomy  

%feed  
http://99u.com/articles/54274/dan-mall-shares-his-design-trade-secrets/  
Dan Mall Shares His Design Trade Secrets  

Everything from Dan Mall's demeanor to the name of his company, SuperFriendly, makes one thing clear: He is here to help.

Before heading out on his own to found his Philadelphia-based design agency, Mall was the design director at Big Spaceship, interactive director at Happy Cog, and technical editor at A List Apart. Today he works with high-profile clients such as Google, Apple, and the New York Times. 

With a belief that setting the table for good design needs to start with the right questions, mutual understanding, and checks and measures, Mall freely shares how's he's built an enviable career and business. 

You were the design director for well-regarded digital agencies like Big Spaceship and Happy Cog before you left to start your own company. How was it transitioning from traditional agency life to setting up on your own?

I didn't leave Big Spaceship because I was unhappy there. In fact, it was probably one of the best places I have ever worked. I left there to move back to Philly to be closer to my parents and in-laws once we had kids. I knew a bunch of agencies here in Philly and there was no place I wanted to work. I also wanted to be home with my wife and my baby and realized that running my own business would allow that best. I knew this was coming so during the last year of working at Big Spaceship I actually worked two jobs: the agency during the day and then after dinner at night I would start my own work. I wanted to make sure I could make it work on my own.

SuperFriendly is differentiated by having no set staff but “super friends.” How do you approach finding the right crew for each job?

As far as creating a team, I realized you often don't have the right person on staff for a particular project — whether that be an illustrator with a certain style or a 3D animator who has worked on movie stuff before. My thought was that I could just pull those people in temporarily while working on a project then they wouldn't have to be committed to me and my agency full time. We could work on a great thing together and then all go our separate ways. That is how I set up SuperFriendly and that's how it's run ever since. Each team is made up of the right freelancers for the job.

How many of these people have you gone out and searched for, and how many are from your existing network?

I sell “good work” to clients so I almost always go with people I know and know their work. I can't stand behind the unknown of people I haven't worked with. I've spent years having lunches with people and getting to know them, and creating lists of people who I would really want to work with, so when the time comes, I know exactly who to call. I almost always work with people I know personally and am constantly trying to expand that pool, getting to know people whose work I admire.

When you work with clients, how do you get past a bad brief?

People don't buy products: they buy outcomes. Selling websites is no exception. The client wants to know what the site will do for them and how it will help them sell more product. Try to have conversations about that at the very start. And, to take a page out of journalism, you have to control the story. If your client writes a bad brief, then write a better one. That's one of the first things I do in a project. I write a brief regardless of whether a client wrote one and say, “Here's the brief for the project that we think is going to accomplish the goals that you want, and here's the project that we want to do.” Then I get them to ratify that. If we are agreed at that point, then we can keep moving forward.

You can also use that brief to look back once you are working on the weeds of a project so you don't get lost in the forest. I also always write a list of metrics, or OKR's (Objectives and Key Results). That makes the grading scale built in. You can look at them and measure over a quarter and see how well you did. It's certainly dependent on the collaboration of vendor and client to go through that stuff together, but it gives you ways to know what you're designing as well as ways to measure whether what you design is the right thing.

How often do you meet with clients at the start, and how many people do you choose to get to know from the client end?

One of the first steps in a project is just talk to people, whether that's people who use the product, stakeholders, or people who are working on it day to day and try to understand what is important to all those different groups. I think a good product sits in the middle of all those groups — good for users, good for the business, good for all the parties involved. The goal of a good designer is to strike the right balance. Then we will do a prioritization exercise to work out the highest priorities. Running a project that has 18 priorities is really difficult, while one with two priorities is significantly easier! Sometimes making the brand more established is a priority over making money and vice versa. Once we have the top three priorities, we start to write our OKRs.

The Objective aspect should be vague and ambitious; the Key Result that is paired with an objective should be measurable and have a number associated with it. An example of an Objective would be to “Improve user experience on a site.” How do we know we've done that? We write the Key Result, which may be reducing load time on the site by 20 percent. The recommended time for an OKR is a quarter, so you can measure whether you are getting there in your three-month period. You might even map three or four key results to a particular objective. Track where you are headed and where you are going and it gives you a framework to be really actionable about your design.

It's common for designers to work towards goal, but it's rare for them to work within OKRs. Have you had any issues working with your designers in this framework?

I try to have my team come up with the OKRs. I find it's a lot easier to get designers, developers and engineers on board with those goals if they've been involved in creating them. Once we have the key results, the designers really know what they are working on. A key result might be “increase search results accuracy by 10 percent.” That is a very actionable thing to design. If you say, “Let's make the site better,” they might not think to work on search. Having really specific things to work on empowers designers more than it makes them feel constrained.

Once you've reached this point, how do you overcome the blank page?

The blank page is still terrifying for me! One of the ways I get around that is to try to design something really quickly. Sometimes I just put stickers on the page of my sketchbook to feel like I've started something. The other thing I do a lot is steal. I will often lift sites directly and then start moving things around, like switching the columns, or changing the typeface etc. If you do enough of that stuff, you can't recognize the original.

When I design a comp it kills me to start with the header if I don't have a good idea for the header. But I might have a great idea for sidebar or button instead, so I start with whatever idea I can't wait to get out of my head. I call that an “element collage.” I leave the ones I don't have the ideas for until later and start working from there. I get into a browser very quickly too. There are certain things that work really well in tools like Sketch, Photoshop or Illustrator, and others that work really well in HTML or CSS. I try to spend the least amount of time in every tool that I can. Use the tools that give you the highest amount of impact in the shortest amount of time.

Do you have a system or process you use to walk the client through your initial presentation?

I'm a big fan of frameworks over process. When I think of a process, I think of things that happen the same way every time. It is consistent. I don't like working that way as it is boring and the variables change too much. By contrast, a framework is more like a soccer field. You know where the constraints are, but every game is different because of the variables. I have a framework for presenting, but the order changes from situation to situation. Instead of the “real estate tour” (pointing out where everything is), you do the goals tour. So you might explain that you put the search bar at the top because our analytics showed us that is the thing people use the most. You talk about why you did things rather than what you did. I also believe it's important to make the subjective things objective. If you say you used blue because you really like blue, well that's subjective and you open yourself up to the client combatting that. But if you say you you tested the different shades of blue to see which had better conversion and picked the best one, the client would have to combat your fact, which is harder to do. Root everything you use in facts.

Another point I learned from an art director at Big Spaceship is to compliment your own designs. So he'd say something like, “ We used these columns here, and they are working really well”… It either helps to rally people or it leads to a good discussion on a particular point.

The final thing I do is try to frame the feedback that I want. Before starting the presentation, I set expectations on the feedback I need (or even lay out the feedback I am not looking for) — whether that be on colors, typography, or any aspect of the design — as it helps the listener work out what to pay attention to. There is a lot of sensory overload with the first presentation and it also helps avoid feedback on things you don't want to have feedback on. So rather than a “What do you think?”, focus the feedback before you begin.

You talk about selling “good work” to your clients. How do you make that a reality?

Now that big companies such as Apple, AirBnB, Google and Microsoft are talking about design being important, it's really taken a seat at the table. I find that a lot of designers are still focused solely on the craft of what they do and that doesn't always lead to good design. Just because you are good at pushing pixels around, doesn't mean an idea has traction and that people will rally behind it or that it will test well — all the things that ultimately make design good for real people. I think designers could do a better job thinking about the things around their craft, and looking outside of just the execution of their work. My favorite definition of design is by Jerod Spool, when he says, “Design in the rendering of intent.”

How do you communicate this issue with designers who are in the mindset of “I just want to make this look better?”

I have a lot of conversations with designers on this topic. Some want to improve their presentation skills, while others might want to improve how something looks, and I sometimes think they are focused on the wrong stage of design. If you're worried about how a client is going to react to something, you likely could have addressed that issue at an earlier stage. It's better to have those conversations earlier so that you and the client know that something is right rather than having to convince the client that it is. Good design starts very early in a process. In an agency, a lot of design issues can be solved in the sales process even. If your client trusts you there, if you write a good agreement…all that leads to good design work being achieved. If you don't do those things well, it is actually really difficult to move design through the organization.

Mall, speaking at the 2016 99U Conference about the role of apprenticeship. Read Mall's “advance transcript” here.

So essentially, you're talking about “setting the table for good design?”

Exactly. When I first get an email from a client, I attempt to put up as many road blocks as possible. Not to be a jerk, but to find out how much I really want to work with them and how much they really want to work with me. If we are both prepared to jump all the hurdles, then we are a good fit, and ultimately it's the fit I am looking for. I like to know a client is willing to match the effort I am going to put in. This is what I see as setting the table for a good design process. There are a lot of signs in the first two or three conversations that a project is not going to go well. A lot of agencies and designers brush that stuff off and then complain about it later on. But if you can demonstrate to your client your expertise and show that you can work on the problem they are trying to tackle and really add value there early on, I feel like the pixels will take care of themselves. A lot of agencies end up having the sales process conversation too late. They want to figure that stuff out later, but then realize further down the line that they are in the middle of the wrong project. They realize they didn't want to “make the yogurt site more beautiful” for example, but that they wanted to “work out how to sell more yogurt.”

 
culture  

%feed  
http://borrachas.tumblr.com/post/149040726169  
354  

354

 
gifs  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Flindahall.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F149077599829&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Matthew Boulton Scientist of the Day   Matthew Boulton, an...  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_Museum,_London#/media/File:Old_bess_beam_engine_may_2015.JPG


http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitLarge/mw128111/


http://www.ukcoinpics.co.uk/g3/1d/1d97.jpg


http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitLarge/mw00103/


https://blogs.princeton.edu/~graphicarts/images/walker%20distinguished6.jpg

Matthew Boulton Scientist of the Day

 

Matthew Boulton, an English manufacturer, died Aug. 17, 1809, just shy of his 81st birthday.

read more…

 
science  

%feed  
http://insider.si.edu/2016/08/birds-really-matter/  
Why Birds Really Matter  

Why Birds Really Matter

Step outside your house in the morning and one of the first things you will hear or see is a bird. They are such a ubiquitous part of our lives that most of the time we don't even notice them. Yet the truth is that their numbers are declining. According to the State of North America's Bird Report 2016, more than one-third of North American bird species are at risk of extinction without significant conservation action.

The issue of conservations is not, in fact, for the birds. This week the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center is hosting the largest-ever North American Ornithological Conference, which brings together thousands of ornithological professionals to address the question of bird conservation.

Birds are indicators of environmental health. They are the canary in the coal mine (pun intended) that let us know when something is not right in our ecosystem.

In the following clip, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell talks about the importance of bird conservation and why birds really matter.

 

 

The post Why Birds Really Matter appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

 
culture  

%feed  
http://insider.si.edu/2016/08/finery-feathered-friend/  
A Finery-Feathered Friend  

Laurel Roth Hope uses humor to address the serious subject of species extinction in her “Biodiversity Reclamation Suits.” These crocheted suits allow common rock pigeons to masquerade as extinct North American birds—if not actually to “reclaim” biodiversity, then at least to give the appearance of it.

Using traditional techniques of carving, embroidery, crochet and collage, Hope transforms ordinary materials into elaborate animal sculptures that are both playful and poignant. Her work is influenced by her background as a park ranger and focuses on the relationship between humankind and nature, touching on topics such as environmental protection, animal behavior and species extinction.

This piece is currently on view in the exhibition “Connections: Contemporary Craft at the Renwick Gallery” at the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Renwick Gallery.

Hope's video featuring a crochet-suit-clad bird can be seen on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQPDGX068&index=34&list=PL94AA4771224B27E1

The post A Finery-Feathered Friend appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

 
culture  

%feed  
http://movieposteroftheday.tumblr.com/post/149028804777  
US one sheet for PORTRAIT OF A GARDEN (Rosie Stapel,...  

US one sheet for PORTRAIT OF A GARDEN (Rosie Stapel, Netherlands, 2015)

Artist: Martin Jarrie

Poster source: Grasshopper Film

 
culture  

%feed  
http://insider.si.edu/2016/08/new-species-extinct-river-dolphin-discovered-smithsonian-collection/  
New Species of Extinct River Dolphin Discovered in Smithsonian Collection  

A fossil that has been in the collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History since it was discovered in 1951 is today helping scientists piece together the evolutionary history of whales and dolphins, including the origins of the endangered South Asian river dolphin.

According to Nicholas D. Pyenson, the museum's curator of fossil marine mammals, and Alexandra Boersma, a researcher in his lab, the fossil belonged to a dolphin that swam in subarctic marine waters around 25 million years ago. It represents a new genus and species, which Pyenson and Boersma have named Arktocara yakataga.

The researchers reported their findings Aug. 16 in the journalPeerJ. They have also produced a digital three-dimensional model of the fossil that can be explored athttp://3d.si.edu/model/usnm214830.

The fossil, a partial skull about 9 inches long, was discovered in southeastern Alaska by Donald J. Miller, a geologist with the United States Geological Survey. It then spent decades in the Smithsonian's collection. With more than 40 million specimens in the museum's Department of Paleobiology, “We are always learning new things about the vast legacy built by our predecessors at the museum,” Pyenson said. But earlier this year, he and Boersma were captivated by and focused their attention on what Boersma calls “this beautiful little skull from Alaska.”

By studying the skull and comparing it to those of other dolphins, both living and extinct, Boersma determined that A. yakataga is a relative of the South Asian river dolphinPlatanista, which is the sole surviving species of a once large and diverse group of dolphins. The skull, which is among the oldest fossils ever found from that group, called Platanistoidea, confirms that Platanista belongs to one of the oldest lineages of toothed whales still alive today.

The South Asian river dolphin—a species that includes both the Ganges river dolphin and the Indus river dolphin—is of great interest to scientists. It is an unusual creature that swims on its side, cannot see and uses echolocation to navigate murky rivers in Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Unlike its known ancestors, it lives only in fresh water. But human activities, including the use of fishing nets, pollution and disruption of its habitat, have decimated the species to only a few thousand remaining individuals. The group's endangered status makes the dolphins difficult to study.

“One of the most useful ways we can study Platanista is by studying its evolutionary history, by looking at fossils that are related to it to try to get a better sense of where it's coming from,” Boersma said. “Exactly how that once diverse and globally widespread group dwindled down to a single species in Southeast Asia is still somewhat a mystery, but every little piece that we can slot into the story helps.”

Based on the age of nearby rocks, the scientists estimate that the Arktocara fossil comes from the late Oligocene epoch, around the time ancient whales diversified into two groups—baleen whales (mysticetes) and toothed whales (odontocetes).

“It's the beginning of the lineages that lead toward the whales that we see today,” Boersma said. “Knowing more about this fossil means that we know more about how that divergence happened.”

Fossils from Platanista's now extinct relatives have been found in marine deposits around the world, but the Arktocara fossil is the northernmost find to date. The name of the new species highlights its northern habitat: Arktocara is derived from the Latin for “the face of the north,” while yakataga is the indigenous Tlingit people's name for the region where the fossil was found.

“Considering the only living dolphin in this group is restricted to freshwater systems in Southeast Asia, to find a relative that was all the way up in Alaska 25 million years ago was kind of mind-boggling,” Boersma said.

Pyenson notes that some conservation biologists argue that the South Asian river dolphin should be prioritized for protection to preserve its evolutionary heritage. “Some species are literally the last of a very long lineage,” he said. “If you care about evolution, that is one basis for saying we ought to care more about the fate of Platanista.”

Chesapeake Testing provided X-ray scanning and support for digital-image processing. Materialise provided technical support with 3-D model rendering.

The post New Species of Extinct River Dolphin Discovered in Smithsonian Collection appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

 
culture  

%feed  
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160816084746.htm  
Hey, tall guy! What's the politics like up there?  
If you want to predict which political party someone will support, take note of the person's height. The taller a person is, the more likely he or she is to support conservative political positions, support a conservative party and actually vote for conservative politicians, according to a new study using data from Britain.  
technology  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newscientist.com%2Farticle%2Fmg23130872-900-plunging-deep-beneath-the-sea-in-a-tiny-sub-to-map-the-ocean%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Plunging deep beneath the sea in a tiny sub to map the ocean  
Aviva Rutkin took a ride off Bermuda in a bubble submersible to survey the depths for the newly launched Nekton Mission  
gaia  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newscientist.com%2Farticle%2Fmg23130870-200-life-evolves-so-easily-that-it-started-not-once-but-many-times%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Life may have emerged not once, but many times on Earth  
Far from being a miracle that happened just once in 4 billion years, life's beginnings could have been so commonplace that it began many times over  
gaia  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.co.uk%2F2016%2F08%2F17%2Finternet-taking-over-memory_n_11562250.html&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
The Internet Is Taking Over Memory As Our Brains Rely More on The Web  

Having Wikipedia on hand to resolve that argument in the pub might be useful, but it's actually changing the way our memory works. 

Researchers have found that human reliance on the wealth of information the World Wide Web has to offer, means that our thought processes are being permanently affected.

Problem solving, recall and learning are being changed by ‘cognitive offloading' as we increasingly resort to the vast resources available at our digital fingertips.

Published in the journal Memory, the findings showed that every time we use the internet to prompt our memory our brain's tendency to rely on it increases.

In the study two groups of participants were asked a set of questions, one group were allowed to use Google on their smartphone and the other had to rely on information stored in their head. 

They were then asked a subsequent question and allowed to use whichever method they preferred.

SEE ALSO

• 
  
• 
  
  How To Delete Yourself (And Your Searches) From Google's Memory
  
  
• 
  
• How To Improve Memory: Exercise Four Hours After Learning, Say Scientists
• 
  
• How To Forget Painful Memories: Scientists Discover Way To ‘Flush Out' Past Experiences
• 
  

Those who used the internet first time were shown to be more likely to reach for it again. In fact, they were not only more likely to use it, but were much quicker to choose it as the first resort than the memory group.

Remarkably 30% of participants who previously consulted the internet could not answer a single question form memory during the testing period.

Lead author Dr Benjamin Storm says that this suggests that a certain method for fact finding has a marked influence on the probability of repeat behaviour by the brain in the future.

Dr Storm said: “Memory is changing. Our research shows that as we use the Internet to support and extend our memory we become more reliant on it. Whereas before we might have tried to recall something on our own, now we don't bother.”

 
cogdis  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fgo.theregister.com%2Ffeed%2Fwww.theregister.co.uk%2F2016%2F08%2F17%2Fgerman_sausage_fight%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Cops break up German sausage fight between pair of Neubrandenburgers  

BMW battered with giant sausage, says police report

German police were called to an outbreak of sausage-related violence this week, after a man used a mega wurst to inflict serious damage on a BMW.…

 
general  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fdotearth.blogs.nytimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F17%2Fhow-an-inland-brown-ocean-and-climate-change-may-have-fueled-louisianas-deadly-flood%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
How an Inland ‘Brown Ocean' and Climate Change May Have Fueled Louisiana's Deadly Deluge  
Climate experts deconstruct the possible roles of global warming and Louisiana's warm swampy landscapes in fueling a devastating inland tropical deluge.  
gaia  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26fd%3DR%26ct2%3Dus%26usg%3DAFQjCNG3av2JInEuqd2W5zdNoD63hcSkFg%26clid%3Dc3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331%26cid%3D52779183212268%26ei%3DFzy0V7jvNrKuzAao3pnIDA%26url%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwboi.org%2Fpost%2Fopinion-cognitive-dissonance-marijuana&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Opinion: The Cognitive Dissonance of Marijuana - Northeast Indiana Public Radio  

Opinion: The Cognitive Dissonance of Marijuana Northeast Indiana Public Radio You'd be forgiven for being confused about whether marijuana has medicinal qualities. On the one hand, 25 states and Washington, D.C. have legalized the use of marijuana specifically for medicinal purposes (Indiana isn't one of them). On the other hand ... and more »

 
cogdis  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fnews.google.com%252Fnews%252Furl%253Fsa%253Dt%2526fd%253DR%2526ct2%253Dus%2526usg%253DAFQjCNFVy78FY50rQYZyO45oUGhvQ-Fw7A%2526clid%253Dc3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331%2526ei%253DWiW0V4j2OcSs1gbCo6KQAQ%2526url%253Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.brand-e.biz%252Frobots-pick-up-on-emotions-using-artificial-intelligence_37875.html%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
r0B0t: Robot and I - brand-e.biz  

Robot and I brand-e.biz AI robotics Those robots are slowly turning emotional on us, writes Steve Mullins. Take Olly, the maker of which claims will develop a unique personality through the interactions users have with it. That's because Olly is powered by 'nuanced ...

 
robots  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fnews.google.com%252Fnews%252Furl%253Fsa%253Dt%2526fd%253DR%2526ct2%253Dus%2526usg%253DAFQjCNFivX--kg27edOik6TgKXiQINIAEw%2526clid%253Dc3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331%2526cid%253D52779183601858%2526ei%253DWyW0V_i9CMTszAbxj7uADg%2526url%253Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.scoop.co.nz%252Fstories%252FBU1608%252FS00560%252Fautomation-in-the-workplace-friend-or-foe.htm%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
r0B0t: Automation in the workplace friend or foe? | Scoop News - Scoop.co.nz (press release)  

Business Insider Australia

Automation in the workplace friend or foe? | Scoop News Scoop.co.nz (press release) Fifty-six per cent of New Zealanders 'definitely' think their job will be impacted by artificial intelligence (AI) and automation in the next 10 years, according to ... Australians are starting to worry about robots moving in on their jobs ...Business Insider Australia all 2 news articles »

 
robots  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2F100162031%40N03%2F28754992290%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Reflection Squared  

Kieran Williams Photography posted a photo:

 
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fshutterjack%2F29008237336%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Shark Attack  

ShutterJack posted a photo:

This one is just for kicks... out of boredom I thought I would have a little fun with an image of a shark from the news the other day. :)

Here is the original news article: nyp.st/2aR56s3

 
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fflcherb%2F28423527493%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
The Golden Tower...  

JH Images.co.uk posted a photo:

This is a shot high up from the car park in Tobacco Docks in London. I was going to stay until the lights went down but i got asked to leave as the car park was closing.

The clouds are very interesting it makes the skyscrapers look like mountains.

 
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=https%3A%2F%2F500px.com%2Fphoto%2F168195323%2Fmutterliebe-by-samir-hadsam-&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Mutterliebe by Samir "hadsam"  

Mutterliebe by Samir "hadsam"

Samir "hadsam": Photos

 
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2F135924873%40N02%2F28922983562%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Take off from the City of London Airport  

big_jeff_leo posted a photo:

 
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FScience360NewsServiceBreakingStory%2F%7E3%2FhNa86BBoxuY%2Fmechanical-force-triggers-blood-clotting-molecular-scale&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
How mechanical force triggers blood clotting at the molecular scale  

Full Text:

Using a unique, single-molecule force measurement tool, a research team has developed a clearer understanding of how platelets sense the mechanical forces they encounter during bleeding to initiate the cascading process that leads to blood clotting. Beyond providing a better understanding of this vital bodily process, research into a mechanoreceptor molecule that triggers clotting could provide a potential new target for therapeutic intervention. Excessive clotting can lead to heart attack and stroke -- major killers worldwide -- while insufficient clotting allows life-threatening bleeding.

Image credit: Lining (Arnold) Ju

 
science  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fbooks%2F2016%2Faug%2F17%2Fgardener-and-the-carpenter-by-alison-gopnik-review&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
The Gardener and the Carpenter by Alison Gopnik review modern parenting is all wrong  
We worry too much and do too much for them: children flourish when they are given freedom. When it comes to looking after kids, be a gardener not a carpenter

In 2011, a team of psychologists did an experiment with some preschool children. The scientists gave the children a toy made of many plastic tubes, each with a different function: one squeaked, one lit up, one made music and the final tube had a hidden mirror. With half the children, an experimenter came into the room and bumped apparently accidentally into the tube that squeaked. “Oops!” she said. With the other children, the scientist acted more deliberately, like a teacher. “Oh look at my neat toy! Let me show you how it works,” she said while purposely pressing the beeper. The children were then left alone to play with the toy.

Related: Tears, tantrums and other experiments

To be a wife is not to engage in 'wifing', so why do we imagine that we can or should parent a child?

Our job isn't to shape our children's minds; it's to let those minds explore all the possibilities that the world allows

Continue reading...  
science  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fnews.google.com%252Fnews%252Furl%253Fsa%253Dt%2526fd%253DR%2526ct2%253Dus%2526usg%253DAFQjCNFL_JMxpWQyW4oNkqb2s-TBmpGC6w%2526clid%253Dc3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331%2526ei%253DixO0V4ijK8XH1AbDtK7IAQ%2526url%253Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.fastcodesign.com%252F3062652%252Fthe-terminator-of-tattoo-guns-is-here-thanks-autodesk%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
r0B0t: The Terminator Of Tattoo Guns Is Here. Thanks, Autodesk! - Co.Design (blog)  

Co.Design (blog)

The Terminator Of Tattoo Guns Is Here. Thanks, Autodesk! Co.Design (blog) The reason the robot is able to puncture the skin without, say, ripping someone's leg in half is because the leg is 3D scanned beforehand, giving it an accurate idea of exactly how deep the needle can go before it starts squirting ink into bone marrow ...

 
robots  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fnews.google.com%252Fnews%252Furl%253Fsa%253Dt%2526fd%253DR%2526ct2%253Dus%2526usg%253DAFQjCNFumJMImwerBVpUE3vJu18inm7dhw%2526clid%253Dc3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331%2526ei%253DixO0V4ijK8XH1AbDtK7IAQ%2526url%253Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.hollywoodreporter.com%252Fnews%252Ffox-sports-exec-likens-his-918144%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
r0B0t: Fox Sports Exec Likens His Network to Fox News (Seriously, He Does) - Hollywood Reporter  

Hollywood Reporter

Fox Sports Exec Likens His Network to Fox News (Seriously, He Does) Hollywood Reporter I'm bearish on the future of news and highlights shows. If there ... Rami Malek [the star of Mr. Robot] was asked [in THR] how he wants to be coached by directors. And he ... Have your league partners expressed anger with what your opinion hosts have said?

 
robots  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FScience360NewsServicePictureOfTheDay%2F%7E3%2F-znvV1_wG4E%2Fcollecting-saliva-sample-false-killer-whale&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Collecting saliva sample from false killer whale  

Full Text:

Jeff Pawloski, a researcher at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, part of the University of Hawaii, collects a saliva sample from the mouth of Kina, a false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens). Kina has been trained to allow samples to be taken, which researchers will use to determine the composition of the saliva and to measure the hormone levels of the animal.

Image credit: Karen Pearce, National Science Foundation

 
science  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fnews.google.com%252Fnews%252Furl%253Fsa%253Dt%2526fd%253DR%2526ct2%253Dus%2526usg%253DAFQjCNHdvMTT305TX-R3i2XrdRQLfGrgPA%2526clid%253Dc3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331%2526ei%253DNv6zV8CjCdf3zAbgvJcI%2526url%253Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.recode.net%252F2016%252F8%252F13%252F12467506%252Fgoogle-brain-jeff-dean-ama-reddit-artificial-intelligence-robot-takeover%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
r0B0t: The head of Google's Brain team is more worried about the lack of diversity in artificial intelligence than an AI ... - Recode  

Recode

The head of Google's Brain team is more worried about the lack of diversity in artificial intelligence than an AI ... Recode As some would have it, robots are poised to take over the world in about 3 ... 2 ... 1 ... But one machine-learning expert — who is, after all, in a position to know — thinks that's not the biggest issue facing artificial intelligence. In fact, it's ...

 
robots  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fenvironment%2F2016%2Faug%2F17%2Fthe-queen-and-david-attenborough-urged-to-cut-ties-with-charity-linked-to-finland-mining-plans&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
The Queen and David Attenborough urged to cut ties with charity linked to Finland mining plans  

Flora and Fauna International has been hired by a British mining firm to assess the environmental value of a national park in the Arctic circle

Environmentalists and indigenous reindeer herders are calling on the Queen, Sir David Attenborough and Stephen Fry to disassociate themselves from a charity contracted to help a mining operation in a national park in Finland.

Fauna and Flora International (FFI), whose patron is the Queen, has been hired by the British-listed mining company Anglo American to assess the environmental value of Viiankiaapa, a stunning 65 sq km (25 sq mile) habitat for 21 endangered bird species in the Arctic circle.

Continue reading...  
gaia  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fenvironment%2F2016%2Faug%2F17%2Fwe-have-to-stop-the-bulldozers-swaths-of-koala-habitat-lost-say-activists&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
'We have to stop the bulldozers': swaths of koala habitat lost, say activists  

Queensland's relaxed land-clearing laws have allowed 84,000ha of habitat to be destroyed and must be rolled back, say WWF and Australian Koala Foundation

A relaxation in Queensland's tree clearing laws led to the destruction of 84,000 hectares of critical koala habitat in the two years after the national icon was listed as vulnerable, according to new mapping by conservationists.

That koala habitat made up about 14% of all land cleared between mid-2013 and mid-2015 was an alarming revelation, WWF and the Australian Koala Foundation said.

Related: Scientists write open letter in support of Queensland tree-clearing reforms

Related: Coalition split over intervention in Queensland land clearing

Continue reading...  
gaia  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencedaily.com%2Freleases%2F2016%2F08%2F160816152917.htm&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Big fish, and their pee, are key parts of coral reef ecosystems  
Large, carnivorous fish excrete almost half of the key nutrients, phosphorus and nitrogen, that are essential for the survival of coral reefs, report scientists, making them a key part of a coral reef ecosystem.  
gaia  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fnews.google.com%252Fnews%252Furl%253Fsa%253Dt%2526fd%253DR%2526ct2%253Dus%2526usg%253DAFQjCNH3-NlDMU8BqWDHuxFqLUbWDaoAnw%2526clid%253Dc3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331%2526cid%253D52779183601858%2526ei%253Dre-zV_mJKcWq1Qb9iqbYAw%2526url%253Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.businessinsider.com.au%252Faustralians-are-starting-worry-about-robots-moving-in-on-their-jobs-2016-8%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
r0B0t: Australians are starting worry about robots moving in on their jobs - Business Insider Australia  

Business Insider Australia

Australians are starting worry about robots moving in on their jobs Business Insider Australia ... artificial intelligence (AI) and automation in the next 10 years. Another 27% say that “maybe” their job will be impacted, according to an online poll of 2,706 people by recruiters Hays. ... “Automation and artificial intelligence has already begun ... Automation in the workplace - friend or foe?Voxy all 2 news articles »

 
robots  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fnews.google.com%252Fnews%252Furl%253Fsa%253Dt%2526fd%253DR%2526ct2%253Dus%2526usg%253DAFQjCNGzali0lknaD32UF5yVRlGxYscfJg%2526clid%253Dc3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331%2526ei%253Dre-zV5z9J8eA1QbyoJioDA%2526url%253Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.govtech.com%252Fcomputing%252FArtificial-Intelligence-Navy-Works-on-Teaching-Robots-How-to-Behave.html%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
r0B0t: Artificial Intelligence: Navy Works on Teaching Robots How to Behave - Government Technology  

Government Technology

Artificial Intelligence: Navy Works on Teaching Robots How to Behave Government Technology (TNS) -- The rise of artificial intelligence has long stoked fears of killer robots like the “Terminator,” and early versions of military automatons are already in the battlefield. Now the Navy is looking into how it can teach machines to do the right ...

 
robots  

%feed  
http://twitter.com/vavauenviro/status/765788545189572610 
A fantastic commitment from Tonga on acceding to the CITES convention on the illegal trade of endangered species https://t.co/duh3Ra3GMy 
https://t.co/duh3Ra3GMy 

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fshutterjack%2F28962467501%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Son of Poseidon  

ShutterJack posted a photo:

Caught this lad on a skimboard down in Seal Beach this weekend. His fall launched him forward in a rather posed sort of way.

 
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ozy.com%2Ftrue-story%2Fa-soldier-returns-to-his-southern-roots%2F70238&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
A Soldier Returns to His Southern Roots  
A man returns to his childhood home in rural Louisiana - and revisits the sharp racial divide that seemed as natural as gravity ... until he got out.  
general  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ozy.com%2Frising-stars%2Fthe-king-of-latin-americas-nudie-business%2F70661&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
The King of Latin America's Nudie Business  
A good Catholic techie opens a webcam studio for topless ladies. Naturally, he's taking it ultra-modern.  
general  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fnews.google.com%252Fnews%252Furl%253Fsa%253Dt%2526fd%253DR%2526ct2%253Duk%2526usg%253DAFQjCNG0gHpWzqdx1ox8bJMKdkD6jbjFwg%2526clid%253Dc3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331%2526cid%253D52779182233550%2526ei%253De8qzV7iFBs6B1Abt5q_gBQ%2526url%253Dhttp%253A%252F%252Ffortune.com%252F2016%252F08%252F16%252Fintel-five-crazy-devices-developer-conference%252F%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
r0B0t: Here's 5 Crazy Devices At Intel's Annual Developer Conference - Fortune  

Fortune

Here's 5 Crazy Devices At Intel's Annual Developer Conference Fortune Robots, virtual reality, motorbikes, and more. Intel issued a call to arms on Tuesday for software developers to use its technology for practically everything powered by electricity. From connecting factory equipment to the Internet, to building self ... Intel Lays Out its Vision for a Fully Connected WorldPC Magazine Intel announces untethered VR with Project Alloy video - CNETCNET Intel And Microsoft Aim To Bring Virtual Reality Into The MainstreamForbes USA TODAY -ZDNet -The Register -PCWorld all 135 news articles »

 
robots  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fnews.google.com%252Fnews%252Furl%253Fsa%253Dt%2526fd%253DR%2526ct2%253Dus%2526usg%253DAFQjCNFXcBDmmmyS-o-Eg26hvKIKA-Td_w%2526clid%253Dc3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331%2526cid%253D52779183487708%2526ei%253DesqzV-j4BIqF1QbuqK6ABw%2526url%253Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.journalnow.com%252Fopinion%252Fcolumnists%252Fdavid-ignatius-the-brave-new-world-of-robots-and-lost%252Farticle_972bc9c3-b80c-5911-8b1f-bb0b109b3f64.html%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
r0B0t: David Ignatius: The brave new world of robots and lost jobs - Winston-Salem Journal  

Winston-Salem Journal

David Ignatius: The brave new world of robots and lost jobs Winston-Salem Journal Politicians need to begin thinking boldly, now, about a world where driverless vehicles replace most truck drivers' jobs, and where factories are populated by robots, not human beings. The best way to cushion this future is to start planning for how ... and more »

 
robots  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fbrad-friedman-and-desi-doyen%2Fgreen-news-report---augus_b_11555538.html%3Futm_hp_ref%3Dgreen%26ir%3DGreen&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
'Green News Report' - August 16, 2016  
The Green News Report is also available via...





IN TODAY'S RADIO REPORT: Another historic, deadly rainfall event hits the U.S., dislocates tens of thousands -- this time in Louisiana (again); Another wildfire in California (again) forces evacuation of more than 4,000; July 2016 was the hottest month ever recorded on Planet Earth (again); PLUS: Dr. Jill Stein is now officially the Green Party's nominee for President. We'll tell you her position on climate change... All that and more in today's Green News Report!

Listen online here, or Download MP3 (6 mins)...

Link:
Embed:

Got comments, tips, love letters, hate mail? Drop us a line at GreenNews@BradBlog.com or right here at the comments link below. All GNRs are always archived at GreenNews.BradBlog.com.

IN 'GREEN NEWS EXTRA' (see links below): A court ruling that could save the planet; Brazil's Amazon Hot, Dry and Ablaze; Secret 'Chemtrail' Spraying Not Real, Scientists Agree; New study: it would be cheap to retrain coal workers for solar jobs; California Farm Communities Pay Price For Decades Of Fertilizer Use; A closer look at Trump's sentence-like word strings on coal, China, and the size of the Earth... PLUS: Americans More Polarized Than Ever On Climate... and much, MUCH more! ...

'Green News Report' is heard on many fine radio stations around the country. For additional info on stories we covered today, plus today's 'Green News Extra', please click right here to listen!

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

 
gaia  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fbrad-friedman-and-desi-doyen%2Fgreen-news-report---augus_b_11555538.html&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Brad Friedman and Desi Doyen: 'Green News Report' - August 16, 2016  
The Green News Report is also available via...

IN TODAY'S RADIO REPORT: Another historic, deadly rainfall event hits the U.S., dislocates tens of...

Read more: Carbon Emissions, Climate Change, Climate Change Denial, Donald Trump, Energy, Environment, Fossil Fuels, Global Warming, Global Warming Deniers, Green News, Green News Report, Renewable Energy, Video, Floods, Louisiana, Wildfires, California, California Wildfires, Nasa, Jill Stein, Green Party, Green, Extreme Weather, 2016 Election, Green News

 
gaia  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fgo.theregister.com%2Ffeed%2Fwww.theregister.co.uk%2F2016%2F08%2F17%2Fdesign_and_bulld_to_start_on_rock_munching_space_robot%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
We're going to bring an asteroid fragment into Lunar orbit  

NASA's bean-counters okay US$1.4 billion rock-munching space robot

NASA has pressed the “Go” button for its Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM).…

 
science  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Ffelixhelgesson%2F29034898885%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Two  

felixhelgesson posted a photo:

 
images  

%feed  
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2016/aug/15/julius-shulman-modernism-rediscovered-photography  
Machines for living: modernist American architecture  in pictures  

Photographer Julius Shulman visited the visionary modernist buildings of mid-century America where sober geometries rub against playful details

Continue reading...  
design  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Fpsmag.com%2Felectric-cars-are-way-more-practical-than-you-might-think-b77afe5fd09e%23.by4mt1yr8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Electric Cars Are Way More Practical Than You Might Think  
A new study finds that electric vehicles could handle most of our driving needs.  
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fnews.google.com%252Fnews%252Furl%253Fsa%253Dt%2526fd%253DR%2526ct2%253Dus%2526usg%253DAFQjCNHdvMTT305TX-R3i2XrdRQLfGrgPA%2526clid%253Dc3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331%2526ei%253DIJSzV8jiAYry1AaBmo_IAw%2526url%253Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.recode.net%252F2016%252F8%252F13%252F12467506%252Fgoogle-brain-jeff-dean-ama-reddit-artificial-intelligence-robot-takeover%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
r0B0t: The head of Google's Brain team is more worried about the lack of diversity in artificial intelligence than an AI ... - Recode  

Recode

The head of Google's Brain team is more worried about the lack of diversity in artificial intelligence than an AI ... Recode As some would have it, robots are poised to take over the world in about 3 ... 2 ... 1 ... But one machine-learning expert — who is, after all, in a position to know — thinks that's not the biggest issue facing artificial intelligence. In fact, it's ...

 
robots  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencedaily.com%2Freleases%2F2016%2F08%2F160816120654.htm&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Neonicotinoid insecticides linked to wild bee decline across England  
Exposure to neonicotinoid seed treated oilseed rape crops has been linked to long-term population decline of wild bee species across the English countryside, according to research.  
gaia  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2016%2Faug%2F16%2Flouisiana-flood-damage-recovery&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Louisiana Left Stunned By Damage From '1,000-Year' Flood  
In a state that stays prepared for hurricanes, the devastating floods that have left tens of thousands homeless seemed to creep up almost without notice.  
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.theguardian.com%252Ftechnology%252F2016%252Faug%252F16%252Fford-self-driving-cars-ride-sharing-uber-lyft%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
r0B0t: Ford to build 'high volume' of driverless cars for ride-sharing services  

Carmaker announces plans to make self-driving vehicles for companies such as Uber and Lyft by 2021, saying automation of cars will define the next decade

The robot car wars moved up a gear on Tuesday when Ford announced it would produce a fleet of driverless cars for ride-sharing services, such as Uber and Lyft, by 2021.

Mark Fields, Ford's president and chief executive, said the next decade would be “defined by automation of the automobile” and the switch to driverless travel would affect society as much as the introduction of the assembly line, allowing mass-produced cars, did a century ago.

Continue reading...  
robots  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.techmeme.com%252F160816%252Fp17%2523a160816p17%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
r0B0t: Intel announces Project Euclid, a compact RealSense module that brings cameras, motion sensors, and onboard communications to robots (Lauren Goode/The Verge)  

Lauren Goode / The Verge:
Intel announces Project Euclid, a compact RealSense module that brings cameras, motion sensors, and onboard communications to robots  —  Among other announcements today, including a new VR reference design and a partnership with Microsoft to bring mixed reality to the mainstream …

 
robots  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2F100888205%40N08%2F28411701934%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Big Ben at Sunset, London  

RAMcN posted a photo:

 
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=https%3A%2F%2F500px.com%2Fphoto%2F168146565%2Fray-of-dark-by-alexander-kuzmin&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Ray of Dark by Alexander Kuzmin  

Ray of Dark by Alexander Kuzmin

Get my Lightroom presets & Photoshop actions on Creative Market: https://creativemarket.com/kuzmin?u=kuzmin Ray of Dark series feat. Tina Petrovskaya

Alexander Kuzmin: Photos

 
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fsculptorlil%2F28413118273%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Sundown 16 Aug 2016  

Sculptor Lil posted a photo:

 
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fsculptorlil%2F29030634935%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Strange face  

Sculptor Lil posted a photo:

 
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fsculptorlil%2F29030647315%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Weird fish  

Sculptor Lil posted a photo:

 
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fsculptorlil%2F28744401110%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Golden Sunset 16 Aug 2016  

Sculptor Lil posted a photo:

 
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fsculptorlil%2F29030662785%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Sunset Aug 16 2016  

Sculptor Lil posted a photo:

 
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=https%3A%2F%2F500px.com%2Fphoto%2F168135535%2Fesfahan-iran-by-merthan-kortan&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Esfahan / IRAN by Merthan Kortan  

Esfahan / IRAN by Merthan Kortan

IRAN

Merthan Kortan: Photos

 
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=https%3A%2F%2F500px.com%2Fphoto%2F168134141%2Fcloud-road-by-arthur-chang&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Cloud Road by Arthur Chang  

Cloud Road by Arthur Chang

The perfect situation after many years of visiting this spot finally came together. For just cresting over the Bolinas Fairfax ridge road, right at sunset.

Arthur Chang: Photos

 
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fmichael_capo%2F28411813533%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
London  

Michael Adedokun posted a photo:

 
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=https%3A%2F%2F500px.com%2Fphoto%2F168125099%2Fthe-mystery-of-the-exposure-by-dean-cummins&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
The Mystery Of The Exposure by Dean cummins  

The Mystery Of The Exposure by Dean cummins

This is a long exposure that i took of a firework display. why i love this photo so much is because when you look at this photo its not what you think it is until you look closer enough that you figure out what photo is and thats a fire work display in a long exposure

Dean cummins: Photos

 
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Ftom-udall%2Fa-new-old-approach-on-cli_b_11552626.html%3Futm_hp_ref%3Dgreen%26ir%3DGreen&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
A New (Old) Approach on Climate Change  
The landmark Paris climate agreement opened a new chapter in confronting an enormous challenge to our planet.  I believe that it also gave new life to a Clean Air Act provision that traces its roots to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson when my father was Interior Secretary.  And as communities in New Mexico and across the globe increasingly battle the impacts of climate change - while congressional gridlock prevents the United States from taking significant action - this provision offers new avenues for action.
 
My father, Stewart Udall, was determined to make science a cornerstone of federal decision-making.  The person he hired as the Department's first science adviser was a distinguished oceanographer, Roger Revelle, who recognized even then the looming dangers of climate change. Revelle collaborated with Johnson's top science advisers on a prescient report entitled "Restoring the Quality of Our Environment." 
 
This 1965 report from the President's Science Advisory Committee devoted a chapter to "Carbon Dioxide From Fossil Fuels - The Invisible Pollutant."  The scientists wrote, "Man is unwittingly conducting a vast geophysical experiment" that "may be sufficient by the year 2000 to produce measurable and perhaps marked changes in climate," as well as sea level rise "a hundred times greater than present worldwide rates."
 
The scientists' concerns clearly influenced Johnson who warned in a special message to Congress in 1965, that "this generation has altered the composition of the atmosphere on a global scale through ... a steady increase in carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels." He called on Congress to strengthen the Clean Air Act to permit the federal government to investigate and prevent air pollution.
 
Members went to the floor of the House and the Senate to echo Johnson's alarm.  One even testified before the House Commerce Committee about the "unnerving" risk that "the increase in carbon dioxide ... may in time melt the polar ice caps" and "greatly raise the level of the oceans, thus dangerously shrinking the earth's land surface area."
 
That same year, Congress adopted what many of the nation's top environmental law professors now say may be the key to an economy-wide, market-based climate policy in the United States - the international air pollution provision of the Clean Air Act.  The provision is surprisingly straightforward:  if a pollutant meets an endangerment test and there is reciprocity with other nations, the Environmental Protection Agency can set emission reduction targets for the states, which they can meet using "economic incentives, such as fees, marketable permits, and auctions of emission rights." 
 
The congressional drafters wrote that their goal was "to adopt a procedure whereby we can cooperate with foreign countries in cases involving endangerment of health or welfare."  Legal experts maintain that after Paris, we can use this authority to tackle the ultimate international air pollutant: greenhouse gases.
 
The Clean Power Plan and the other actions contemplated in President Obama's Climate Action Plan are vital to the battle against climate change.  But even if we implement all of them, there will still be a gap between the emissions reductions we will achieve and the level we have pledged to meet.  The international clean air provision can unlock market mechanisms that will secure the additional reductions at the lowest possible cost. 
 
Predictably, there are already critics of this approach and a bill has even been introduced to repeal it.  Some argue that no one ever contemplated climate change when the provision was adopted.  Of course, history tells us otherwise.
 
Others will say that Congress should pass legislation.  I certainly hope Congress will act because a carefully crafted bill can address the myriad nuances climate change raises.  But our country and the planet should not be held hostage to congressional inaction.
 
If legislation is not forthcoming, we need to rely on existing law, and none is more promising than the international clean air provision.
 
In 1969, when former Senator Patrick Moynihan was serving in the Nixon administration, he sent a remarkable memo to John Ehrlichman, writing:  "It is now pretty clearly agreed that the CO2 content will rise 25 percent by 2000.  This could increase the average temperature near the earth's surface by 7 degrees Fahrenheit.  This in turn could raise the level of the sea by 10 feet.  Goodbye New York.  Goodbye Washington."
 
Despite these warnings, we've put off action for decades and now the consequences - fiercer storms and wildfires, rising sea levels, more severe droughts - are happening all around us. 
 
Our generation can rise to this challenge.  The work of visionary scientists and legislators from my father's era provides the legal foundation on which we can build an economically efficient climate policy for the United States.

Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and is the Ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

 
gaia  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2F2016%2F08%2F16%2Fcharles-river-filtered-brew-beer_n_11552570.html&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
'Dirty Water' From Boston's Charles River Is Being Used To Brew Beer  
...

Read more: Environment, Water, Sustainability, Boston, Beer, Brewery, Dirty Water, Filter, Charles River, HuffPost Live 321 News

 
gaia  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fnews.google.com%252Fnews%252Furl%253Fsa%253Dt%2526fd%253DR%2526ct2%253Duk%2526usg%253DAFQjCNFHmIXiWnpjE_Lht-5LErE9BvDK5g%2526clid%253Dc3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331%2526cid%253D52779183076171%2526ei%253DinOzV8jqKOvPzAamj4rwCg%2526url%253Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.theguardian.com%252Ftechnology%252F2016%252Faug%252F16%252Fford-self-driving-cars-ride-sharing-uber-lyft%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
r0B0t: Ford to build 'high volume' of driverless cars for ride-sharing services - The Guardian  

The Guardian

Ford to build 'high volume' of driverless cars for ride-sharing services The Guardian The robot car wars moved up a gear on Tuesday when Ford announced it would produce a fleet of driverless cars for ride-sharing services, such as Uber and Lyft, by 2021. Mark Fields, Ford's president and chief executive, said the next decade would be ... Ford plans mass-market self-driving cars within five yearsTelegraph.co.uk Ford to mass-produce a completely self-driving car within five yearsArs Technica Ford Wants to Build the Largest Self-Driving Car Fleet in the WorldGizmodo ZDNet -Bloomberg -Digital Trends -The Globe and Mail all 115 news articles »

 
robots  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Ffeeds.mashable.com%252F%7Er%252FMashable%252F%7E3%252FRyJBgOX2pgo%252F%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
r0B0t: WowWee CHiP is a hyper, engaging robot pet  

In the 16 years since Sony introduced AIBO, the first robotic pet, consumer robotics has not exactly flowered. AIBO was  a smooth-moving, shockingly intelligent and incredibly expensive product. Ultimately, it couldn't survive even as long as the average dog. However, its influence continues even to this day and can be seen in WowWee's charming and mostly effective CHiP robot dog.

Designed for everyone eight-years-old and above, the mostly white (with silver-blue-accents), $199 CHiP comes complete with a charging base, SmartBall and SmartBand.

Image: BRITTANY HERBERT/MASHABLE Read more...

More about Reviews, Review, Toys, Robotics, and Robot  
robots  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2F43208722%40N04%2F28925220092%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Shrouded  

ArtGordon1 posted a photo:

 
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Ffeeds.mashable.com%252F%7Er%252FMashable%252F%7E3%252FwqJ-Clcz1b8%252F%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
r0B0t: 'Mr. Robot' renewed for Season 3 on USA Network  

No big surprise here, but now it's official: Mr. Robot was just renewed for a third season, Mashable has confirmed.

The new season of the drama starring Rami Malek will premiere in 2017, although the number of episodes is still unknownMr. Robot's Season 2 order was upped in June from 10 to 12 episodes. The buzzy show recently nabbed  six Emmy nominations.

“We couldn't be more proud of Mr. Robot, a series that has pushed boundaries, captured the cultural zeitgeist, and been honored as one of the best dramas on television,” NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment Networks president Chris McCumber said in a statement to Mashable. “Midway through its second season, Mr. Robot continues to break new ground and open up new opportunities for the network. We can't wait to see where Sam Esmail and the entire brilliant Robot team take us next.” Read more...

More about Rami Malek, Usa Network, Mr Robot, Entertainment, and Tv  
robots  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2F43208722%40N04%2F28925224082%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Disappearing  

ArtGordon1 posted a photo:

 
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fwaterford_man%2F28409747074%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
London at Sunset  

Waterford_Man posted a photo:

Thanks for all the views, Please check out my other photos and albums.

 
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fkissa%2F29028198535%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Above and Beyond  

* Pia * posted a photo:

This is the first photo of a new project I have just started. It's about discovery of yourself, identity and what ever else I can think of on this journey. This is the beginning and I don't know where this project will take me and where it will finish, but my next two photos are already in planning.

For this photo, I woke up at 4 am, took the night bus to central London and set everything up just before sunset (5.45ish am). Trafalgar square was pretty empty; it was just me, some drunks and people tidying up the square. Although, I did get advice on how to take the photo from some "helpful" stranger! Patronising strangers might be another idea for a photo project....

I don't like to write too much about the idea behind this photo because I like to leave the interpretation to the viewer. But I chose to shoot in dawn instead of sunset because of it's connotations with new beginnings, a big empty square with magnificent buildings and the scaffolding was just an (lucky) added extra (there's always something to be fixed).

Thanks for reading and viewing,

Pia

 
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fenvironment%2F2016%2Faug%2F17%2Faustralias-rarest-tortoises-get-new-home-to-save-them-from-climate-change&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Australia's rarest tortoises get new home to save them from climate change  

Natural range of critically endangered western swamp tortoise increasingly untenable owing to reduced rainfall

Twenty-four of Australia's rarest tortoises have been released outside their natural range because climate change has dried out their remaining habitat.

The natural range of the critically endangered western swamp tortoise, Pseudemydura umbrina, has shrunk to two isolated wetlands in Perth's ever-growing outer suburbs, and a herpetological expert, Dr Gerald Kuchling, said reduced rainfall and a lowered groundwater table made those areas increasingly untenable.

Related: Galapagos gets a new species of giant tortoise

Related: Runaway 100lb tortoise back home after mile-long journey

Continue reading...  
gaia  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fdana-ellis-hunnes%2Fwildlife-conservation-and-healthy-diet_b_11547460.html%3Futm_hp_ref%3Dgreen%26ir%3DGreen&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Wildlife Conservation And Healthy Diet Are Closely Entwined  

Your Plant-Based Ambassador: Image by Dana Ellis Hunnes

We all want to look our best, be our skinniest and healthiest selves, right?

Well, I've got the secret.

See, I've been a dietitian, working with individuals and patients for over 12 years.

I've seen patients who eat every type of diet you have and have not heard of; from the Paleo, to the Atkins, to the Zone, to the blood-type diet.

You know what? None of them worked long-term.

Not only that, they never really helped the underlying disease or "problems" that the patients had; and believe me, I work with the sickest of the sick patients. I work with organ-transplant patients, cardiac patients, and all types of surgical-cancer patients.

In all these years, and with all these patients, and with all my research. The one diet that works best for almost anyone**, whether you want to lose weight, reverse disease, lower your cholesterol levels, or just have clearer skin; is the plant-based diet.

Not only that, but, the plant-based diet is the only diet that also protects Earth.

Right now, we are in the midst of mass-species extinctions. Our glut for sushi, poke, sashimi, or ceviche, is throwing our oceans out of balance. It is leading to extinction of the mightiest of fish, the Bluefin tuna.

Fewer than 3% of the Bluefin tuna in the Pacific ocean remain. And of those, very few reach maturity or are of age to spawn and reproduce. Most are taken from the oceans, far too early.

This is a major problem.

Not only that, but we are killing the small fish too; such as anchovies, menhaden, herring at ridiculously fast rates, such that they cannot support the rest of the oceanic ecosystem or the larger fish that we, humans, like to eat. Yet, these smaller fish are not necessarily consumed at the dinner table. Rather, they are found in fish oils, or used as animal feed or fertilizer.

And, we have completely contorted the way our food is grown, reared, and what it is fed; including ourselves. We remove the vast majority of the fish in the ocean, and then we call other consumers such as whales and dolphins, pests, and retaliate against them.

Something has to change. For wildlife, and for OUR HEALTH.

We all strive to attain that perfect figure, those washboard abs, those beautiful biceps. But, we're going about it all wrong.

See, we eat poorly, too many animals, too many processed sugars and grains, not enough fruits and vegetables, and then we wonder why we look the way we do, or feel the way we feel.

But, we can fix this.

Myself? I swim miles at a time, do hard, long cycling classes (with a bonafide triathlete), and do so with energy, with stamina, at peak performance, and I do so on a plant-based, eco-friendly diet.

I've never been leaner, I've never been stronger, I've never been healthier.

I've been a plant-based eater for the vast majority of my adult life, mostly for personal health reasons. But, as I've learned more and read more about the environment and conservation of wildlife, my priorities, my reasoning for eating this way have evolved.

Luckily, these are not mutually exclusive reasons. We can eat a healthy plant-based diet for our health, and for the environment! Because it's simply good for both!

If you are looking to rid your body of diabetes, obesity, or cardiovascular disease; the best thing you can do today is start eating a plant-based diet.

If on the other hand, like me, you worry about the future of our earth, the future of Bluefin tuna, the future of the environment, the best thing you can do today is start eating a plant-based diet.

When I began my quest to defend and advocate for wildlife conservation, I didn't necessarily expect to be talking about diet as much as I do. But, the reality is they are so closely entwined, they cannot possibly be separated.

The truth of the matter is, my over 12-year history of being a dietitian has placed me in the ultimate position to educate and advocate for the healthiest of all diets, a plant-based diet.

Moreover, my scientific and doctoral background in climate-change science affords me the scientific basis for which I can fully conclude that a plant-based diet is THE ULTIMATE DIET.

So, whether you want to lose weight, have a six pack, or want to protect the environment; the best thing you can do for you, your family, your children, our home-Earth-is eat a mostly, if not entirely, plant-based diet.

And, anyone who tells you, you need meat to be healthy, doesn't know their science. There are amino acids and proteins in almost any and every food.

Anyone who tells you that you don't need carbs in your diet doesn't know their science, because our brains utilize 8 grams of glucose every hour.

Our biggest problems are the types of carbs and the processing of our food supply.

For more recommendations on a healthy plant-based diet, please see my prior post: "Why plants are this summer's coolest Diet."

(**Disclaimer: There are some disease states that require extra-special care in planning the type of plant-foods that should be consumed; consult with a dietitian or physician**)

To contact Dana: recipe.for.survival@gmail.com
Twitter: recipe4survival
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RecipeForSurvival/
PlanetExperts: http://www.planetexperts.com/author/danahunnes/

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

 
gaia  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fcathy-kangas%2Fprotecting-animals-in-our_b_11551066.html%3Futm_hp_ref%3Dgreen%26ir%3DGreen&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Protecting Animals In Our National Parks And Refuges  

Photo Courtesy of the Humane Society of the United States

National parks, preserves and wildlife refuges located in Alaska belong to all Americans, which means it is up to each of us to protect the animals living on these special lands from the worst kind of predator, a "super predator" in fact: the trophy hunter.

Trophy hunters killed grizzly bears, black bears, wolves and coyotes in Alaska using some of the most barbaric and unsporting means: shooting swimming caribou from motor boats; luring grizzly bears to buckets of rotting meat and pet food for a point-blank kill; using cruel, steel-jawed traps or snares; and rooting out black bear mothers and their cubs using artificial lights at the den in wintertime and killing them; slaughtering wolf and coyote mothers at the den with their pups and extended family members--exploiting them when they are completely vulnerable--and scouting grizzly bears from planes, landing and then shooting them.

Trophy hunters aren't killing animals for their meat or fur, or for subsistence. They butcher a once wild animal, a sentient being who is a family member, to prove how manly and virile they are. They hang an animal's head on a wall, they turn bears into rugs, and stuff wolves in full-body-mounted displays. This is nothing but a sick competition, ticking each species from a checklist, racing against each other to kill more animals to win prizes and other inducements from groups like Safari Club International.

Thanks to federal land managers, these egregious killing methods are no longer permitted in a large portion of Alaska. That's because on October 15, 2015, the National Park Service on its National Preserves, and this month, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on its National Wildlife Refuges, passed administrative rules that prohibit several of the most controversial and unsporting hunting activities. There are more than 96 million acres of these federal lands - national preserves and wildlife refuges - in Alaska impacted by these rules; more than in all the lower 48 states combined. These lands are home to wolves, wolverines, grizzly bears, black bears, lynx and other species whose very survival has been threatened repeatedly by reckless killing and dismal state management.

Alaskans should support these rules not only because they protect animals, but also because millions of people travel to Alaska annually to experience our abundant wildlife, and those tourists spend over $2 billion annually, immensely bolstering Alaska's sagging economy.

When the wolf population was decimated in Denali National Park because they were lured out of the Park and trapped ruthlessly on nearby state lands, many wolf-watching tourists abandoned Alaska for Yellowstone National Park, where they know they can see wild wolves in their natural habitat. Alaska hotel owners, restaurants, wildlife guides, and others who depend on tourism are economically harmed. The damage has been done in Denali. Not only does it need to be undone, we need to prevent this from happening in other parts of the state.

Yet the Alaska Board of Game continues what they call "Intensive Management," the slaughter of large carnivores in a misguided attempt to boost numbers of the prey species coveted by trophy hunters. This isn't surprising, considering that the BOG is composed of governor-appointees who aren't biologists, but are instead trophy hunters, trappers, NRA members, and even a hunting lodge manager. This group not only fails to recognize how much Alaskans value their wildlife, but they all appear to be oblivious to the fact that wildlife watchers and ecotourists bring far more money into the state economy than do trophy hunters.

In a statewide poll conducted in March, Alaska residents voiced their strong support for ending some of the most cruel and unsporting methods of hunting on national wildlife refuges and preserves in our state. What's more, these new rules are completely in keeping with the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), which allows for subsistence hunting while conserving and protecting preserves and refuges for their wild characteristics.

It is now up to each of us to tell our elected officials in Congress that public lands are meant to be managed in trust for all of us. They don't belong just to the BOG, or trophy hunters, or trappers. Whatever your political views are of the Obama administration, the fact remains that he, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service put forth policies that are far more humane, scientifically sound, and ecologically-minded and in keeping with Alaskans' values.

The animals in these parks belong to all Americans, and to our children and grandchildren. We must do whatever we can to protect them.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

 
gaia  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.seattletimes.com%2Fnation-world%2Fphotos-of-the-day-aug-16-2016%2F%3Futm_source%3DRSS%26utm_medium%3DReferral%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_photos-of-the-day&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Photos of the Day: Aug. 16, 2016  

Explore the news of the day with these images from around the world.  
images  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fchristina-laughlin%2Fcan-mankind-return-to-nat_b_11535340.html%3Futm_hp_ref%3Dgreen%26ir%3DGreen&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Can Mankind Return To Nature?  
Confusion. Determination. Elimination. Addition. Recollection.

Things all so necessary to a sane human existence.

But, not many things seem truly sane anymore.

People, filled with distrust, spend their lives locking everyone else out, becoming "secure" and "safe", yet die wallowing in confusion as to the state of their loneliness.

Others, so desperate for companionship, spend their lives taking anyone and everyone into their hearts, yet die the same.

We have lost our nature. We have lost the natural within ourselves. And we spend lifetimes trying to fill the void that distance has left us with.

Our world searches and yearns for progression, for progress, not realizing that the damage and destruction we will cause will set us back to the beginning. To nothing. Everything. The simplistic space occupied by only large planets, uncluttered by metal and smog and progression.

Only the beauty of the Heavens. Silent time passing. No clocks, no calendars to time what is beyond any humans control.

Fate. Life. Death.

Were the American Indians the heathen enemies our forefathers perceived? Was it our ancestors who lived solely off the land, only taking what was needed, worshipping Mother Earth, and her inhabitants large and small?

The Indians weren't corrupting the Earth, it was our own perception of what life was to be.

Instead of seeing the beauty of trees, we saw the possibility of the homes we could build.

Not the beauty of the fox running wild and free, but the coat we could place on our back.

Our need to either change what existed or destroy what resisted led us down this road that seemed to disappear behind our footsteps, leaving us no route of escape.

We must all now face the reactions of our actions.

Corruption. Destruction.

Fast these are becoming the symbols of human existence as young eyes begin to see. Perhaps, by the grace of time, of repercussions, the Earth's shiny, new inhabitants will look at this world through young, untainted eyes. Eyes that see not the impressiveness of tall buildings, but the sacredness of the ground they stand on.

And then, perhaps this world will become what it was meant to be. A place of wonder, a place of beauty, and a place to be shared.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

 
gaia  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fnoah-greenwald%2Ffueling-extinction-feds_b_11457298.html%3Futm_hp_ref%3Dgreen%26ir%3DGreen&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Fueling Extinction: Fed's Protection of Endangered Species Moving At Snail's Pace  
An often cited standard response time for emergency workers in many localities is nine minutes or less. So you can only imagine the outrage, and additional loss of life, if first-responders routinely took six times longer to arrive - 54 minutes.

A new peer-reviewed study suggests that's exactly what's happening when it comes to providing endangered species protections for the Nation's most critically imperiled species.

Under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife is required to determine whether imperiled plants and animals need to be officially listed as threatened or endangered in no more than two years.

But a new study I co-authored in the international scientific journal Biological Conservation found that over the past four decades, imperiled species have waited an average of more than 12 years to receive protection -- six times longer that the law allows.

The study, co-authored with Fordham University postdoctoral associate Dr. Emily Puckett and Dr. Dylan Kesler, a research associate with The Institute for Bird Populations, also found that vertebrate species like mammals and birds move through the process roughly twice as fast as invertebrates and plants. That means species like mollusks, insects and flowers that are critical parts of the web of life are often failing to get the timely protections they need.

What's the solution to these problems? Our study found that increased funding would certainly help the agency protect more species. It also found lawsuits from organizations like the one I work for, the Center for Biological Diversity, targeted species stuck in the process and sped protection.

This latter result directly refutes unsupported assertions routinely spouted by Republicans opposed to the Endangered Species Act -- that lawsuits filed by conservation groups and other interested parties draw resources away from species conservation and hurt the process for protecting species.

For the study, we analyzed the listing process for 1,338 species protected between 1973 and 2014 to determine how budget constraints, species taxonomy, lawsuits and presidential policy choices affected the length of time it took for species to receive protection.

We found that increased funding and lawsuits accelerated protection of species, but that policy choices and taxonomy had mixed impacts on the time required to gain protection.

Unfortunately, even though protection decisions are supposed to be based solely on science, who is in the White House has a tremendous impact on decisions about whether species receive protection. For example, only 62 species gained Endangered Species Act protection under the second Bush administration compared to 268 under the Obama administration and 522 under the Clinton administration.

The study recommends increased funding and better partnerships with nongovernmental organizations interested in biodiversity protection to address lengthy delays in protection.

We already know the cost of doing otherwise: At least 42 species have gone extinct waiting for protection.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

 
gaia  

%feed  
http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fnoah-greenwald%2Ffueling-extinction-feds_b_11457298.html&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Noah Greenwald: Fueling Extinction: Fed's Protection of Endangered Species Moving At Snail's Pace  
A new study found that over the past four decades, imperiled species have waited an average of more than 12 years to receive protection -- six times longer that the law allows.

Read more: Endangered Species, Animals, Endangered Species Act, Green News

 
gaia